The Hidden Army: 隐蔽军队
by Gfyuwatr7
Summary: Lord Voldemort has returned. Harry is left to fend for himself in a world that refuses to believe him. With his friends and allies by his side, will he be able to stand defiant against the oncoming storm? Sequel to An Impossible Change, reading that first highly advised. Chapter 7 uploaded.
1. Chapter 1: Uninvited Guests

隐蔽军队

_The Hidden Army_

_A Harry Potter Fanfiction Story by Gfyuwatr7_

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter in any way, shape or form. It all belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. All other works referenced in this story belong to their respective owners.

* * *

_Chapter 1: Uninvited Guests_

Summer at Privet Drive. In other words, Harry Potter's version of hell. It was certainly hot enough these days to justify the name. A heat wave was striking all across the county, and if the weatherman's forecast could be trusted, then it would be hitting the rest of the country soon enough. Just add another thing to Harry's list of miseries. He was lying in his Aunt Petunia's flowerbed, just outside the kitchen window. From there, he had at least a marginal amount of shade. It was also the perfect place to hear the evening news without being spotted by his family, or by anyone else for that matter. Harry felt quite proud of himself for having found this little spot.

"Haven't seen Harry lately," Uncle Vernon said from the living room. He and Aunt Petunia were watching the television, waiting for the weather forecast to finish. Like Harry, they were waiting for the real news. "Where is he anyway?"

"Don't know," said Aunt Petunia, only mildly concerned. "Not in the house."

Uncle Vernon grunted. "_Watching the news,_" he said thoughtfully. "What on earth could he need from _our _news? It's not like there'll be anything about _them _on _our _news-"

"Vernon, the window's open!" Petunia warned.

"Oh, right…Sorry, dear."

The news came and went. Harry didn't care about workers' strikes or anything like that. If something had happened, some indication of Voldemort's return, it would be on the news. Disappearances, mysterious deaths, anything. Why was nothing happening… It had been this way all summer. Harry would wait to hear news about a violent death, something that might give him a clue that Voldemort was on the move. But there was nothing. Not even the _Daily Prophet_, the wizard newspaper, had anything. He'd glance at the front page, and not seeing any news of the Dark Lord, would throw it away. The bin in his room was starting to overflow.

Harry shifted on the ground uncomfortably. He had grown quite a bit in the last month. Dudley's clothes were staring to fit less and less, and the Dursleys finally decided to buy him new clothes. It wasn't much, for the clothes came from a second-hand store, but at least it fit. He'd even managed to buy his own shoes. His hair was also quite a bit longer than it had been a month ago. It was now reaching slightly past his shoulders, and no matter how many times he tried to have it trimmed, it would grow right back. Eventually, he just gave up and left it as it is.

_There won__'__t be anything, _Harry thought dejectedly. The news had gone by fast, and now the television was playing a piece on some celebrity's wife or something-_BANG!_

A loud noise shot through the street, and Harry twitched violently, banging his head on the windowsill. Rubbing his head furiously, he pulled out his wand. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but he couldn't help feeling that magic was involved somehow. He gazed wildly around the street, looking for the source of the noise. It sounded like someone Apparating...

"Put that thing away, boy!" Uncle Vernon whispered in a panic behind him. Harry turned around quickly; he hadn't noticed his aunt and uncle at the window. He hurriedly stuffed his wand out of sight.

"What the devil are you doing out here?" Vernon hissed, trying to keep his voice down.

"Nothing," Harry snapped, glancing around the street once more. "Nothing at all."

* * *

Some time later, Harry found himself in the small park a little ways off from Privet Drive. He was still fuming from his argument earlier.

_Just when I think things are getting better, they get worse,_ Harry thought gloomily. He had noticed that his relatives were treating him slightly better than usual. Ever since the end of last term, they had taken to being more polite and accommodating. Still, they weren't above being strict and authoritarian most of the time. Today was just another bad day for them. Harry knew it was probably just the weather that had everyone in a bad mood. But that didn't stop him from being angry at them. Still, it was better than last year. And the year before that, and so on…

Harry wished they hadn't caught him under the windowsill. They had raised a good point, for once: why was he listening to the Muggle news if he had friends and the _Daily Prophet _bringing him news? The answer was: they weren't.

Any time he had sent his friends a letter, they would always reply with vague, cryptic messages. They would always leave hints about "you know what" and other such nonsense. He supposed Ron and Hermione were together at Ron's house. Their letters seemed to suggest so, at any rate. Harry wished he could be with them, but instead of feeling nostalgic, he felt angry. He always seemed to feel angry, though. _Well, that__'__s not my fault, is it? It__'__s their__'__s__…__I was the one who was there, not them__…__Don__'__t I deserve answers?_

Harry shook his head. _Don__'__t think about that,_ he repeated to himself for the hundredth time that summer. It was bad enough that he would dream about that night in the graveyard whenever he fell asleep. He didn't need to dwell on it during the day.

He would probably be receiving more mail tomorrow, but he knew he wouldn't read most of it. But there were a few letters he was looking forward to. Letters from Sirius Black, his godfather, and from Cho Chang, his girlfriend.

Sirius's letters, though also mysterious, at least reassured him that things would get better. He also left him advice: don't get into any trouble, keep your head down and your nose clean, that sort of thing. But at least it was something.

Cho's letters brought him a sense of normalcy more than anything. He could count on her to lift up his spirits, even by a little. She never wrote him cryptic messages. She wrote to him in plain language, without trying to hide anything. And that was what made him feel better. He knew she wasn't in on some secret plan, trying to keep him in the dark like his friends were. Most of the time, she would write about her day-to day life. She truly regretted not being able to invite him to her home. Her parents had apparently forbidden her from seeing him. But far from letting them deter her, she wrote letters expressing how much she missed him very regularly. She assured him that they would continue seeing each other when they returned to Hogwarts, rules be damned. He found her willingness to rebel against her parents quite endearing.

His thoughts were interrupted by loud voices across the street from him. Glancing up, he saw his cousin Dudley Dursley saying good-bye to his friends. One by one, they left him, until Dudley was on his own. He began making his way to Privet Drive. Harry got up quietly and began to follow him.

"Hey, Big D!" Harry called out, calling him by his nickname.

Dudley turned around quickly, hands raised, but relaxed when he saw who it was.

"Oh, it's just you," he said. He slowed down to allow Harry to catch up to him.

"Just me?" Harry said with mock severity. "I must be losing my edge."

"Shut it, Harry," Dudley replied, shoving him playfully on the shoulder.

One of the only positive things to come out of Harry's miserable departure from Hogwarts was his growing friendship with his former tormentor. He almost couldn't believe it himself. Soon after he had returned, Dudley, as tactless as ever, began to ask him about magic. Harry was shocked. His cousin had always seemed to favor his parents' perception of the world. Magic was evil and all that nonsense. Yet all it took to change that was a quick visit to Hogwarts. He had been traumatized by Cedric's death, of course (not that he knew him; he had just never seen a dead person's body in real life). Harry began showing him his textbooks and magical items: his wand, his cauldron, the small Hungarian Horntail model he kept from the First Task last year, and his broom. But more importantly, he taught Dudley about the responsibilities of using magic. When he asked why he was so interested in magic all of a sudden, his cousin's answer surprised him.

_"__Because I saw it was good,__"_ he had said simply. _"__Mum and Dad were wrong. That castle was so cool.__"_ And that was all he had to say about that. Harry didn't press him further. He needed all the support he could get.

"You been sleeping alright?" Dudley asked suddenly. Harry jumped slightly at this sudden question.

"What d'you mean?" Harry said, though he had a feeling he knew what.

"Heard you muttering in your sleep again last night," Dudley said quietly. "Something about Cedric?"

Harry did not respond for a while. He knew perfectly well what his cousin was talking about. Almost every night, he would revisit the graveyard. He would relive Cedric's death, and Voldemort's return. And every time, there was nothing he could do to stop it…

"Yeah, something like that," Harry said aloud. "But it was just a dream. I'm fine."

"If you say so," Dudley said uncertainly. They walked on in uncomfortable silence. Eventually, Harry decided to relent. He knew Dudley was trying to help, even if he didn't know how. But it was the thought that counted.

"Look," Harry began. Suddenly, a chill swept through his body, and he realized that the night had become unnaturally cold. The stars had disappeared, the streetlights had gone out. The whole world had gone dark.

"Harry," Dudley said slowly, "what's going on? Why can't I see?"

"I don't know," Harry said. "I mean, I have an idea. But I really hope I'm wrong."

"Let's go!" Dudley yelled shakily, blundering away into the night.

"Dudley, wait!" Harry cried. A second later, he heard a squeal and a thud. Dudley had hit something and had fallen to the ground. Behind him, Harry heard a familiar rasping breath. His worst fears had literally come true. Turning around, he came to face-to-face with a large, hooded creature with rotted flesh. The Dementors were here.

* * *

"_Expecto Patronum!_" Harry bellowed, and a giant, glowing white stag burst out of his wand. Rearing its head, it charged at the Dementor nearest to him. The creature shrieked, and flew away into the night.

"Over there!" Harry yelled desperately, pointing his wand at the other Dementor. It was seconds away from sucking out Dudley's soul…He couldn't let anyone else get hurt because of him.

The stag turned and galloped at full speed, hitting the Dementor in the side like a battering ram. It too flew away. As soon as it was gone, the streetlamp came back on, the stars had reappeared, and the sounds of traffic reached Harry's ears once more.

"Dudley!" Harry said hoarsely, running to his side. Kneeling down, he put a hand to Dudley's forehead. He was ice cold, and very clammy. He looked as though he were about to be sick. Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, Harry put his wand away hurriedly. A familiar voice stopped him.

"Don't put it away, Harry," an elderly woman said behind him. "There may be more of them." Harry turned quickly and gasped in surprise.

It was Mrs. Figg, the old woman who used to take care of him when he was younger. How could she know about the Dementors and wands and magic…

* * *

_**Dear Mr. Potter,**_

_** We have received intelligence that you performed the Patronus Charm at twenty-three minutes past nine the evening in a Muggle-inhabited area and in the presence of a Muggle.**_

_** The severity of this breach of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery has resulted in your expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Ministry representatives will be calling at your place of residence shortly to destroy your wand.**_

_** As you have already received an official warning for a previous offense under Section 13 of the International Confederation of Wizards**__**' **__**Statute of Secrecy, we regret to inform you that your presence is required at a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic at 9 A.M. on August 12th.**_

_** Hoping you are well.**_

_** Yours sincerely**_

_** Mafalda Hopkirk**_

_** Improper Use of Magic Office**_

_** Ministry of Magic**_

* * *

_Scotland_

"Cho, come down for supper!" Cho's mother called from across the hall.

"Coming!" Cho replied half-heartedly. She hurriedly put her quill and ink away, in case her parents decided to check up on her. Taking her letter to her owl, she tied the letter to the its leg. She opened the window, and the owl flew out into the night. She waited for a few moments, waiting to hear if her parents had seen her late-night message. Not hearing anything except for the clatter of plates, she closed her window slowly. Leaving her room, she headed for the dining room. If her parents knew what she'd been up to all summer…

Her parents worked for the Ministry of Magic, so she supposed it made sense that they had forbidden her from sending letters to Harry, or from seeing him at school. What with the Ministry's smear campaign against him and Dumbledore, it didn't make sense for them to allow Cho to continue dating him. She had never thought of her parents as accommodating people. They were strict, but they knew when to lighten up on her. On matters of the Ministry's agenda, on the other hand, they were like stones, refusing to compromise their own values for the sake of their jobs. The fact that they were doing so now was baffling.

She didn't like it.

As she approached the door to the dining room, she heard hushed voices. She stood at the door, listening closely.

"A Patronus Charm? You're sure, Remus?" her father whispered.

"Yes," Remus Lupin, former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, said tersely. "I know Harry personally, he wouldn't use that spell unless it were absolutely necessary."

"The only reason he'd need to use it," Cho's mother said, "would be if he were being attacked by Dementors. But if that's the case, what were they doing out there?"

"Unfortunately, the Ministry isn't seeing it that way," Lupin said. "They've effectively expelled him. We need to act quickly. Ken, can you…?"

"I'm on it," Cho's father said, and Cho heard him rising from his seat. "I'll talk to Madame Bones, I'm sure she'll be able to talk some sense into Fudge. At the very least, I'll be able to postpone Harry's expulsion. I'll be back soon." She heard the front door open and close. Silence fell across the house.

Cho couldn't believe her ears. Harry was going to be expelled. No, but her father… Her parents! Why did they care what happened to Harry? They had made things quite clear on what they thought of him. She couldn't stand the silence anymore, she needed answers. She burst through the door, and found her mother and Remus Lupin sitting at the dining table. Both looked up at her, but Lupin didn't seem surprised to see her at all.

"Cho!" her mother said in surprise. "How long were you-?"

"Long enough, mother," Cho replied tersely. "What's going on?"

Her mother glanced at Lupin warily, and said, "We've had an uninvited guest."

* * *

Author's Note: Here you go, the first chapter of the sequel to my first story! It's a little short, but it's only supposed to set things up for the next chapters. Hope you guy like it.

To WinterRain36: I decided not to have Harry at Cho's place because Harry, as of now, is the victim of a smear campaign by the Ministry. Cho's parents happen to work at the Ministry. It would cause some problems for them if the Ministry knew he was with them, wouldn't it? He will visit them along the way, I assure you.

To the Crimson Mage: I was initially going to have Cedric survive somehow, but I couldn't think of a good way to do it. But who knows, maybe he did survive… Anyway, thank you, I had a good Easter, hope you did as well!

As usual, reviews, comments, questions, constructive criticism are welcome. I'll be updating as soon as I can, while I write the first chapter for the prequel story. Hang in there!


	2. Chapter 2: The Order of the Phoenix

_The Hidden Army_

_隐蔽军队_

_A Harry Potter Fanfiction Story by Gfyuwatr7_

Hey, boys! I'm back!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter in any way, shape or form. It all belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. All other works referenced in this story belong to their respective owners.

* * *

_Chapter 2: The Order of the Phoenix_

_**I**__**'**__**ve just been attacked by Dementors and I might be expelled from Hogwarts. I want to know what**__**'**__**s going on and when I**__**'**__**m going to get out of here.**_

Harry had written that note and sent it to his friends three days ago. Still no reply. He was starting to crawl the walls at this point. It was bad enough that the Dementors had attacked him and his cousin, but the Ministry of Magic had seen fit to expel him from Hogwarts for using magic defensively. By some miracle, however, his expulsion had been postponed. He was no longer expelled, but he was still under strict orders not to use any more magic, or to leave the house for that matter. Apparently, Dumbledore was sorting things out for him. Again.

Harry knew he should be feeling grateful that the headmaster was helping him, but he was so sick of not knowing what was happening that his sense of reason had abandoned him. That seemed to be happening very often.

He had spent the last three days alternating between anger and anxiety, to exhaustion and listlessness. He would just lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, his mind a complete blank. It was during one of these moods that Uncle Vernon had announced that he, Petunia, and Dudley were going to be away for a while. After setting some ground rules, they had left him alone in the house.

_Looks like Dudley__'__s feeling better, at least,_ Harry thought gloomily. The night of the Dementor attack, Dudley had puked all over the welcome mat. As the days went by, he felt progressively better. His temperature had returned to normal, and he was eating like his usual self again. Some things would never change. Oddly enough, he felt more grateful to his cousin than he did to Dumbledore. While the headmaster was keeping him in the dark, Dudley was a sort of opposite. Despite not knowing that much of the world of magic and how it all worked, he'd had enough sense to realize that Harry had saved his life during the attack. He trusted Harry. That was enough to bring a bit of warmth to his heart in his darker moments.

Harry's musings were cut short when he heard a loud banging noise in the kitchen downstairs. Alert, he picked up his wand.

_Who could that be at this hour? _he thought.

He heard hushed voices in the hallway outside. A young woman was speaking.

"Very neat, these Muggles, aren't they?"

Harry stood up, his wand at the ready. Suddenly, a burst of white light appeared behind his door, and it swung open. As Harry stood there, blinded, he heard another voice, a gruff male.

"For God's sake, Tonks!"

As Harry's eyes cleared, he took a closer look at the group of people who were outside his door. At the front of the group was a pretty young woman with purple hair, and standing next to her was a man he wasn't sure he knew all that well.

"Professor Moody? What are you doing here?" It was disconcerting to see this man standing in his room, for the Death Eater who had infiltrated Hogwarts and entered Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire last year had taken on his appearance. Harry knew he could trust Moody, but it was still strange to see him here.

"Rescuing you, of course," Moody replied casually, as thought it were the most obvious thing in the world.

* * *

_The English Countryside_

The wind streaming past them in a blur, Cho and her parents flew on their broomsticks to an unknown location in England. Cho watched the English countryside flash by below her. The wide, green fields, even in the dark, were a sight to see. The moon was illuminating their path, in a place where smog could not block its brilliance. It was a truly beautiful night. And yet, she couldn't bring herself to appreciate it as much as she normally would.

The night of Professor Lupin's late arrival to their home, Cho had overheard a conversation between him and her parents discussing Harry's possible expulsion from Hogwarts. As soon as her step-father had left, she barged into the dining room, demanding answers. Unfortunately, her mother was not in the mood to explain things any further than what Cho had already overheard. Professor Lupin (she couldn't think of him in any other way) had tried to reason with her mother that some information might be necessary. But she was adamant. She sent Cho back to her room, and that was that.

Cho fumed for three days. She refused to speak to her mother, and if she had to, she would say only what was absolutely necessary, and leave it at that. Her father wasn't much better. In private, he would calmly try to reassure her that her mother was just doing what she felt was best. Cho knew that her behavior was childish, but she couldn't help it. She was worried about Harry, and though her father claimed that Harry wasn't in any serious trouble, she remained unconvinced. Her owl had returned the following morning, looking very disheveled. Most worrying of all, however, was that her letter was missing. It was stolen, no doubt. She knew something was wrong, but she felt powerless to stop it.

Then, after three days of uncomfortable silences at the dinner table, Cho's mother knocked at her door. Politely, she told her to pack a few things into a trunk, and to fetch her broom. They were leaving for an important errand in London, and they might stay there a while. Cho didn't argue and did as she was told. By this point, she wasn't angry at her mother anymore, simply frustrated by her behavior the other night.

That had been a few hours ago, and now they were descending slowly. They alighted in a small, wooded courtyard, surrounded by apartment buildings on either side. Unbelting their trunks from their brooms, they stood silently in the courtyard, as a group of young hooligans passed them by on the opposite side of the street. They didn't see the family hidden by the trees. They were too preoccupied describing an encounter with an old man who had bested them in a fight on the London Underground. As soon as they disappeared from view, Cho and her family crossed the street quickly, but quietly. They stopped in front of a gap in between apartment buildings. Cho couldn't see anything in the shadows of the alleyway. Was this really their destination?

"Cho, take this," her father whispered, handing her a small piece of parchment. She took it uncertainly. "Read it quickly, and memorize it."

She unfolded it carefully, and read,

_**The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.**_

* * *

_Grimmauld Place_

"They simply can't expel you, they just can't!" Hermione said hotly. As Harry walked further into the room, trying to keep his rising anger inside, she continued. "It's simply not fair!"

"Yeah, there's a lot of that going on at the moment," he replied without thinking. The words came out quietly, but they carried the weight of his frustration nonetheless. Ron and Hermione heard it in his voice, and they exchanged worried glances with each other. It only served to anger him further.

Harry had arrived only a few minutes ago, relieved to have been rescued from the lack of news at the Dursley's. Immediately, he had been ushered upstairs by Mrs. Weasley. He'd only managed to catch a glimpse of his godfather, Sirius Black, in what he supposed was the dining room, before Ron's mother closed the door and greeted him. The building was dark and depressing to look at, but just the thought that his friends were there had been enough to lighten his mood. Now, however, that warm feeling was gone, to be replaced by the anger that was always just beneath the surface. These two had been here since the summer holiday began, he assumed. They must have been privy to all the information that Harry had been deprived of. He tried to hide his frustration, but it was becoming more and more difficult. He turned to them, and opened his mouth to speak, when they all heard a creak outside the door.

There was a knock, four small raps, and a timid voice asking, "Hello? They told me to come up here, do I have the right room?" It was a voice Harry would recognize anywhere.

"Cho?" he said, his anger and questions vanishing momentarily, followed by the familiar swooping feeling in his stomach whenever he caught sight of his beloved. The door opened, and Cho Chang walked into the room. She paused in the doorway, glancing at the others briefly before catching sight of Harry. As soon as they locked eyes, they walked towards each other as quickly as they could. Harry was for the second time engulfed in a hug that left him gasping for breath, for Cho had him in a surprisingly strong grip. Separating just enough to look each other in the eyes, they stared at each other for a moment.

_Wait, how did she know I was here? _Harry thought quickly. _Has she been here all along too?_

Just before he could ask her himself, she leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. All questions disappeared from his mind again. Separating, she smiled at him.

"Harry, 多想你呀! (I missed you so much!)" she said gently. Before Harry could even say he didn't understand everything she'd said, she looked around and asked, "Where are we, do you know? Did someone bring you here after the Dementors attacked you?"

"How-how did you know about that?" he asked quickly, his brief moment of happiness beginning to disappear. If she knew about what had happened, that would mean she _had _been here all along…

"Professor Lupin came to my house a few nights ago," she explained, still holding him tightly. "He only told my parents though, I only heard about it because I was at the door. They said you'd been expelled." She looked up at him earnestly, her eyes bright with emotion. "They can't expel you, Harry, they just can't! If the Ministry follows its' own rules, there's no way it can happen!"

"Yeah, so I've heard," Harry said, relieved. She had no idea what was going on either. Gently extracting himself from Cho's grasp, he turned to Ron and Hermione. "What is this place, anyway?" he asked them pointedly.

Their moment of reprieve over, they glanced at each other once more, before they answered him.

"It's headquarters," Ron shrugged.

"Of the Order of the Phoenix," Hermione said. "It's a secret society, Dumbledore formed it back when they first fought You-Know-Who."

"And you couldn't put any of this in a letter?" Harry asked shortly. Frustration at all the secrecy, the cloak and dagger antics, was overwhelming him once again.

"We wanted to, mate, we really did," Ron said earnestly. "Only…"

"Only what?" Harry asked impatiently.

"Only Dumbledore made us swear not to tell you anything!" Hermione said in a rush.

Silence filled the room. Harry could feel everyone's eyes on him as they waited for his reaction.

"Dumbledore said that?" he said in disbelief. "But why would he do that, why would he keep me in the dark? Maybe I could help. After all, I'm the one who saw Voldemort return-"

A loud SNAP interrupted his rapidly rising voice, and Fred and George Weasley appeared out of thin air on either side of him.

"Harry, thought we heard your dulcet tones," one of them said cheerfully.

"Don't bottle it up though, mate," the other said. "Let it all out."

"Now if you're done shouting, do you want to hear something a little more interesting?"

* * *

In the stairwell, Fred (_or was it George?_ Cho didn't know them enough to tell them apart yet) lowered a piece of flesh-colored string with an ear made of rubber on the end of it down over the handrail. Down three flights of stairs it went, finally stopping just in front of the dining room. A jumble of voices came through, but it was difficult to discern what they were saying. Finally, one voice cut its way through the interference, in spite of its low tone.

"How very paternal of you, Black. Perhaps Potter will grow up to be a felon, just like his godfather."

"Is that Snape?" Cho asked in alarm. Harry also wore an expression of disgust and surprise.

"Snape's part of the Order?" he asked incredulously.

"Git," Ron answered tersely. They paused to listen more closely. Unfortunately, Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, mistook the ear as a treat. He promptly ripped it from its connection and proceeded to eat it. They would have to find another way to find out what was going on.

It wasn't until quite some time later when the Order emerged from the meeting. A great commotion of hurried whispers and farewells could be heard from their place a few floors above them. Cho's stomach fluttered unpleasantly when she heard her mother calling for her. Reluctantly, she walked down to the ground floor. Her parents were waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs.

"We're leaving," her mother said briskly, checking her bag to see if she had everything. Her father was standing silently beside her, his expression worried.

"What happened at the meeting?" Cho asked.

"Nothing, dear," her mother replied wearily. "Just a little reunion with some old acquaintances. Hardly anything groundbreaking."

"Wouldn't put it like that," Mr. Chang said quietly, looking up at the ceiling with what seemed to be exasperation. Her mother gave him a look, and his face became unreadable.

"We brought you here to make sure Potter was alright," she said calmly. "He's fine, he's not expelled, and that's good. But we really need to be going."

"I want to stay," Cho said quietly, her head slightly bowed. She had learned from experience to not directly disobey her mother (for the most part), but to make her opinion known in the most polite way possible. "I want to make sure he isn't expelled. He still has to go to the hearing, right?"

"Yes, but your father will be going to the hearing as well, he can tell you what happens when it's over," her mother replied. "I know you still care for Harry, but it doesn't mean you have to be with him every step of the way. I thought we made it clear you weren't to get involved with him in _that_ way any more."

"It's not like that, mother," Cho said impatiently. "He's still my friend, I don't want to leave and have him think that I don't care about him. I want to stay."

"Marian," Mr. Chang said gently, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Let her stay for a while. Remember we talked about this? Cho's made new friends, she needs to give them her support. Let her stay, and she can even help out with the house cleaning that Molly was talking about."

Mrs. Chang took a deep breath, exhaling from the nose. "That's not what worries me, and you know it," she whispered sadly.

"I know, but she was bound to find out sooner or later," Mr. Chang replied just as quietly.

Cho wanted to interrupt and ask them what they were talking about, but she kept her impatience in check. If what they said was true, she would find out for herself soon enough.

* * *

_August 18_

"He'll be okay, Cho," Hermione said bracingly as they filled bags with enchanted items from the drawing room of Grimmauld Place. It seemed that the whole building was at war with them over their cleaning, trying to literally kill them on certain occasions. When her parents had agreed to let her stay, under the condition that she would help clean the place, she hadn't been expecting giant spiders in cupboards or drapes that were enchanted to strangle whoever tried to remove them.

"The law is on his side," Hermione continued. "As my parents like to say, 'truth will out'."

"I'm not sure the Ministry's very interested in the truth these days," Cho replied sadly.

When Cho first arrived to Grimmauld Place, she'd had no idea what kind of business her parents were up to. That same night, she had learned that they were part of some sort of secret organization dedicated to fighting You-Know-Who. This was the information they had tried to keep hidden from her all along. But that had been only a small portion of what they had concealed from her.

You-Know-Who was on the move, and the Order of the Phoenix were doing all they could to counter his plans without drawing to much attention to themselves, as well as recruiting. Unfortunately, they constantly found themselves at odds with the Ministry's current agenda of "keeping the peace", which consisted mostly of defaming Dumbledore and Harry at every opportune moment. They would also make claims that all was well in the wizarding world, and would blame many of its problems on Sirius Black.

"It's been all over the _Daily Prophet_," Cho had said quietly the morning after their arrival, as she and Harry removed old china cups from the shelves and threw them into bags. "I thought you'd seen them by now."

"No, I didn't bother looking through them once I'd seen the front page," Harry said bitterly. "I just can't believe how anyone could be so blind."

"Fudge can't afford anyone believing you or Dumbledore, Harry," she said. "Until You-Know-Who makes another move, no one at the Ministry's going to change their minds. It's not just Fudge. Too many people have become comfortable. They'll try to ignore or discredit anything that threatens to rattle their cages."

"That's what Sirius said," Harry said. And that was all he had to say about that. Now, she wondered if maybe she just added to his problems. She had only been trying to understand how and why the Ministry was using its power to cover up the whole matter. Perhaps he thought she approved of their tactics. Over the next few days before his hearing, he grew more and more distant. Not just from her, but from his friends as well.

"He knows you care about what's going on," Hermione said when Cho confided in her this worry. "And he knows we're on his side. He's just been frustrated lately, and I can see why. He's been cooped up for so long without any news, and it was our fault. Harry knows you had nothing to do with that, but sometimes his emotions get in the way."

Cho nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She didn't want to sound like some desperate housewife, totally dependent on Harry's wellbeing. But she was a caring person, she couldn't help it. She wanted to help him. If it had been up to her, she would have accompanied Harry and Mr. Weasley to the Ministry. But she wondered, with the way Harry had been treating everyone, whether or not he even wanted help.

"Besides, I have it on good authority that he's glad you're here to stay," Hermione said, smiling slightly. "Just last night, he asked me to let you know he's sorry about the way he's been acting. I told him he should tell you himself, because there's no way he's getting expelled."

"You're right," Cho said resolutely. "He aught to tell me himself, and he will." All that was left was to wait, and hope for the best.

* * *

_Ministry of Magic, Courtroom 10_

Harry watched, fascinated at the verbal duel that Dumbledore and the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, were having. If Dumbledore hadn't arrived when he had, Harry would surely have been expelled already. Looking around the large courtroom, he realized it looked quite similar to the one that had been in use when Barty Crouch Jr. was captured and brought to trial over the torture of Neville Longbottom's parents.

All of the other judges present were also watching the back and forth between the Headmaster and the Minister with great interest. There were a few that caught Harry's attention. There was Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. She was a stout, unpleasant looking woman. She looked quite similar to a toad in his opinion. While most of the people in the room were interested or angry, she was impassive.

_This woman looks like trouble,_ Harry thought. If he was honest with himself, he was only distracting himself from what he felt was the inevitable. Eventually, he could no longer hear Dumbledore and Fudge debating underage wizard laws. The room had gone silent. However, he did not dare to raise his head.

Eventually, one of the judges, Madame Bones, said in a booming voice, "Those in favor of clearing the accused of all charges?"

Harry's head snapped up, scanning the crowd frantically. There were many hands rising into the air, more than half. His eyes lingered on Madame Bones, whose hand was also raised. But someone else caught his eye. A judge who seemed to be of Asian descent also had his hand raised. Catching Harry's eye, he nodded subtly. Looking away, Harry wondered if he had met the man before. He seemed oddly familiar.

"And those in favor of conviction?"

The Minister raised his hand, as well as the toad witch and a few others. With a jolt, Harry realized that hardly anyone had raised their hand. Fudge looked around him, and, realizing he had been defeated, lowered his hand. His voice distorted by suppressed rage, he said, "Very well, very well…cleared of all charges."

* * *

_Grimmauld Place_

Harry was so relieved. He wasn't expelled, and despite all the uncomfortable moments he'd had with his friends as of late, he now felt a familiar warmth spreading through him as he saw how happy they were that he was cleared. This feeling persisted throughout the next few days. Their temporary home was still in need of constant cleaning, but without the looming threat of expulsion, Harry felt that he could overcome anything. It was a far cry to how he had been feeling all summer. He had forgotten his earlier frustration at his friends for keeping him in the dark. And when he had the chance, he approached Cho to apologize for his distance.

"I'm sorry, you know?" Harry said awkwardly. "I've just been…it's just…"

"I know, Harry," Cho said. She put her hand on his arm. "You've had too much pressure on you lately. But you need to know, you're not alone anymore. You can talk to us about anything." She hugged him tightly and said, "Especially me."

As the time drew nearer for them to return to Hogwarts, they each received their lists for the materials they would need that year. Advanced spell books, potions ingredients, and a few surprises were among their letters. Ron and Hermione had been chosen to become prefects for Gryffindor House that year. In spite of his initial disappointment at not being chosen, Harry truly was proud of them for their appointments. He realized he didn't need any more responsibilities on his plate this year.

Mrs. Weasley, on account of these developments, decided to give them a proper send-off. After she returned from Diagon Alley with their new books and items, she prepared a large, delicious dinner. She had invited as many of their acquaintances as she could. By the afternoon, Moody, Tonks, Kingsley, and the others had already arrived. Before going downstairs, Cho pulled Harry aside into an empty room, so as not to be overheard.

"Harry, my parents are here!" she said in a panic. She was wringing her hands nervously, and her forehead was slightly wet.

"What's wrong with that?" Harry asked. And then it dawned on him; her parents had almost not allowed her to stay at Grimmauld Place at all. Judging by the letters he had received from her over the summer, they had disapproved of their relationship. It was her father who had managed to convince his wife to allow Cho to stay. In a moment, he understood her worry.

"Your parents don't want me to see you anymore," he said quietly. She nodded, eyes downcast.

"It took a lot to convince them to at least let me stay friends with you," she said. "I didn't listen, of course. And I still won't, but at least in front of them, I have to pretend. I'm really sorry about this."

"Yeah, no, it's fine," he said quickly. Doubt lingered in his mind. Maybe he should try to convince them himself. Then he remembered his own dismal attempts at trying to convince the Wizengamot of his innocence. If Dumbledore had not intervened, he surely would have been expelled. He knew that if he tried to plead his case now, he would only make things worse for them.

"Really?" she asked. "You're not…mad?

"I know why we have to hide," he said. "I don't really like it, but I'll do it for you."

"Thanks," she said, hugging him close and kissing him briefly on the cheek. "I'll promise I'll make it up to you someday." She said this with a mischievous look in her eyes.

She left the room, but Harry waited for a while. He wanted to make sure no one saw them coming downstairs together. He sighed heavily. This was becoming difficult very quickly.

* * *

Down in the basement, Mrs. Weasley had hung a scarlet banner over the heavily laden dinner table, which read:

_Congratulations Ron and Hermione-_

_New Prefects_

Everyone toasted to the new prefects, then moved toward the table to help themselves to food. Soon, everyone was engaged in their own conversations. Ron was showing off the specifications of his new broomstick to anyone who would listen. Hermione was speaking to Lupin about the unfairness of the segregation of non-magical creatures from wizards. Bill, Ron's elder brother, and Mrs. Weasley were arguing about Bill's hair again. Fred, George, and Mundungus Fletcher were talking "business". To Harry's discomfort, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Moody, Sirius, and Cho's mother (Harry believed he had heard someone call her Mary) were all discussing why Harry had not been chosen for prefect.

Looking around, he caught sight of Cho with Ginny and Tonks, marveling at Tonks' shape-shifting abilities. She had taken Cho's form, and they were completely identical. He smiled at the way the real Cho reeled back in shock from her doppelgänger.

"She's having fun, isn't she?" a voice said behind him. Turning quickly, he found Cho's father looking at her as well. Facing him, he extended his hand. "I don't believe we've been formally introduced. My name is Ken Chang, I'm Cho's father."

"Nice to meet you, sir," Harry said nervously, shaking his hand. An awkward pause followed, before Harry realized he had forgotten to introduce himself as well. "I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

"I know," Ken said. "I was at your hearing."

"You-you were?" Harry stammered.

"I was," he replied. He smiled at Harry's confused expression. "When we first heard you had been attacked and were about to be expelled, I went to the Minister himself to propose a fair trial first. I'm a senior member of the Wizengamot."

"Wow. I-thank you!" Harry said. He was relieved; he had believed that Ken was one of the few who had wanted him expelled from Hogwarts. Now that he had time to reflect on the trial, he realized that he must have seen Ken in the courtroom, but not recognized him due to his own nerves. He had not realized that he had seen him the night he arrived at Grimmauld Place.

"No need," he replied. "You've done many things for the Wizarding world that deserve more praise than I do." He glanced across the room, and saw his wife still talking Sirius and Kingsley. Turning back to Harry, he asked in a low voice, "Do you have a minute? I'd like to have a word."

Harry nodded, and they left the basement discreetly. They stopped halfway down the hall, where the only thing they could hear were the endless mutterings of the portrait in the entrance hall.

"Cho's been very taken with you all summer," Ken said. "I've noticed all the letters she's been sending you. And I've also noticed all the replies you've been sending her, as well. I suppose you two thought you were being careful about it."

"Oh-I see," Harry mumbled awkwardly. He wasn't sure whether he was being reprimanded or not. Looking up, he was surprised to see him smiling knowingly.

"Don't worry, I didn't read any of them. Your secret is safe with me." A peal of laughter came from the basement, and they turned briefly towards it. Turning back to Harry, he continued. "To be honest, I think my wife and I have pushed Cho too hard to focus on her studies, at the cost of her social life. When she came back from Hogwarts, I was surprised by how happy she was." He smiled briefly. "What I'm getting at, Harry-may I call you Harry?- is that for my part, I have no problem with you seeing my daughter at school. By the way she spoke of you, I knew you were the reason why she was so happy."

Harry couldn't believe his ears. He was receiving Mr. Chang's blessing to continue dating Cho. Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad after all.

How very wrong he was.

* * *

AN: And I'm finally back! I am so sorry this took so long to write. To make a long story short, life happens. Again, really sorry. I will do my best to write more frequently. These chapters aren't going to write themselves.

To Irishdanceringgrulz1776: Thanks, I'm glad you liked the first chapter! From your comment, it seems you've read my other stories as well. As for Cedric surviving, I did originally plan to have him survive somehow. My editor did not think it was a good idea, but I think there's room for his survival in case I change my mind.

To .archanfel and riogetsuki: I'm glad you guys are enjoying my writing so far! I'm truing to add as many differences as is realistically possible. I'll also try to focus the story so that it doesn't become just a rewrite of the book. Any suggestions are welcome.

To Kyu9930: Mr. Chang is Cho's step-father. I did as much in the same chapter that she had one. Thanks for your comment, I should have made it clear that this was her step-father.

I've skipped over a lot of details, and that's because either I felt they were unnecessary, or I'm saving them for the next chapters. Either way, let me know if there is anything that you guys would like me to include in the next chapters. Harry's temper will definitely flare up a lot more than it has so far. Cho's managed to keep him in check, but as we all know, sometimes even the beauty can't tame the beast. Let me know how I'm writing Cho as well.

What Cho said: 多想你呀 (duō xiǎng nǐ yā) 。 Rough translation: I've missed you so much.

This chapter is not my best work, but under the circumstances, I think it turned out alright. Your comments, constructive criticisms, and reviews are very important to me, so please let me know what you think over all. I hope to update this and my other stories with more frequency, but I can't promise anything. Please hang in there!


	3. Chapter 3: Frustration

_The Hidden Army: _

_隐蔽军队_

_A Fanfiction Story by Gfyuwatr7_

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, all of its characters, names, etc., all belong to J.K. Rowling. All other properties belong to their respective owners.

* * *

_Chapter 3: Frustration_

_The Hogwarts Express_

Harry, Cho, and Ginny walked through the hallway in between train compartments, looking for an empty one to sit in. That morning had been extremely hectic for them, what with making sure all of their school things were in order at the last minute. In addition to that, they were escorted to the train station by members of the Order of the Phoenix. It seemed there had been a complication on their way there; a member of the order by the name of Sturgis had not arrived to escort them to the train station. Eventually, they left Grimmauld Place a member short, and had no choice but to walk all the way to Platform 9 3/4.

_At least we made it on time, _Cho thought. Looking through the window of yet another compartment, she was dismayed to see it was also full. For some reason, everyone they encountered would stare at them as they made their way through the train. After walking past a few more compartments, Cho realized they were all staring at Harry. Glancing at him, she noticed his taut expression; he was barely keeping his anger in. _It__'__s always the same. People seemed to have a problem with him last year, too. Now it__'__s even worse, if they__'__ve read the Daily Prophet. Which of course, they have, _she thought bitterly. _Let them have all the attention for once, see how they like it._

Looking through another window, she saw what appeared to be an empty compartment. She was about to stop the others, when she realized that it wasn't empty after all. Marietta Edgecombe, her erstwhile best friend, was seated in the corner furthest from the door. She had her legs drawn up to her chest, her expression a dull mask of indifference. Just as she was about to look up, Cho turned away and caught up to the others. She had no intention of talking to someone who just wanted to be left alone. She had tried to send various letters to her over the summer, offering to meet at Diagon Alley to discuss things, but Marietta never wrote back. Cho got her message loud and clear.

They eventually found a compartment with her fellow Ravenclaw, Luna Lovegood (or Loony Lovegood, as some liked to call her). There, she met Neville Longbottom, another friend of Harry's, who was carrying what looked like a gray, pulsing cactus. Herbology had never been her strong suit, and a few minutes later, she wished it had been. Neville decided to try to demonstrate the plant's defense mechanism, which consisted of shooting jets of a foul smelling pus all over the place. Quite a lot of it landed on her face. As she spat some out of her mouth and wiped her eyes, she heard the compartment door being opened. A familiar voice said, "Oh, sorry, wrong compartment." She heard the door close again. Opening her eyes, she was just in time to see the back of Marietta's head as she walked away down the corridor. It seemed she had wanted to talk after all, but was put off by the spectacle before her.

With Neville in the background apologizing to everyone profusely, she wiped away the rest of the pus from her face.

_I__'__ve got a bad feeling about this,_ Cho thought dejectedly.

* * *

_Grimmauld Place_

Sirius sat on the edge of his bed, contemplating everything that had happened in the last few months, especially what had happened just now. Harry was on his way to Hogwarts, to his true home. He should be glad that Harry was cleared of charges, that he was free. Then why did he feel so disappointed?

_Did you honestly think he was going to be expelled? That he would want to live with you, in this place? _a snide voice in the forefront of his mind said. _You really believed he would want to live like you, an outcast? He__'__s not James__…_

"I know he's not!" Sirius snarled out loud. He stood up abruptly, pacing the length of his room. "Harry's his own man, his own wizard! He has his whole future ahead of himself, he doesn't need me around."

_Then why did you give him the mirror? If he doesn__'__t need you, what on earth would he use it for?_

"To make himself look good for his lady friend," Sirius said proudly, and the voice in his mind subsided. He sighed in relief. It was in these moments that he realized his madness was still a constant reality. His time in Azkaban had seen to that. He calmly took a few breaths, settling his heart beat. It was true, a part of him had hoped that Harry would be expelled, and that he would be able to live with him here in Grimmauld Place. It had been a comforting thought. He and Harry would both be on the run, but at least they would have each other for company.

But if he was honest with himself, he knew the chances of Harry being expelled were zero to none. He should never have entertained the idea in the first place. All things considered, he was truly happy that Harry was returning to Hogwarts, to learn more about the world around him and on how defend himself against those who wished him harm. Yes, things were better this way. At least he had given him the mirror, which would allow Harry to contact Sirius if he was ever in trouble. And he could give him advice on how to navigate the rough seas of serious relationships. From what it seemed, Harry was very serious about his relationship with Ken Chang's daughter. Sirius was quite proud of his godson indeed. With these warm thoughts, Sirius left his room and walked carefully downstairs into the cellar, hoping to catch the other members of the order before they left.

As he approached the table, he heard Mad-Eye Moody complaining about someone to Tonks. "Sturgis was supposed to be helping us get the boy to the platform. I'm going to have to tell Kingsley or someone to let Dumbledore know."

"That's right, Podmore wasn't here," Sirius said. "Actually, I haven't seen him for a while. Wasn't he supposed to be on guard duty at the Department of Mysteries a few days ago?"

"Yeah, it was his turn," Moody growled as he shrugged on his coat. "Problem is, we haven't heard from him since the day of Potter's hearing. Something's gone wrong, I'm sure of it." He headed for the entrance hall of the building, but he stopped halfway to the door. "It was dangerous of you to see the boy off, Sirius. If someone recognized you and followed us…"

"No one knows about my form except Dumbledore and the Order," Sirius said curtly. "I had to see Harry off, make sure everything went alright."

Moody merely grunted, and walked off to the entrance hall, followed by Tonks. Sirius stood there in the cellar, wondering if he had indeed put everyone in danger. He felt quite good about it. It made things more fun.

* * *

_Hogwarts_

Cho, having left the Great Hall after dinner, was making her way up to the Ravenclaw Tower. She wasn't sure how this year would compare to the last (after all, several people died, including Cedric), but it was, at the very least, looking to be a strange one. Their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was none other than Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, and member of the Wizengamot. Her father, as a member of the wizard court as well, worked closely with her quite a bit. And from the way he spoke of her at home, Cho knew Umbridge was not good news. Apparently, she was incredibly loyal to Cornelius Fudge, which made her presence at Hogwarts a clear sign that the Ministry was attempting to interfere at the school, and her speech at the feast didn't help that notion either. The woman had quite the nerve to interrupt Dumbledore's welcoming speech.

As she opened the door to the common room and stepped inside, she noticed that several of her friends from last year were avoiding her gaze. Some who weren't her friends stared openly at her, and still others would start whispering things to each other. She was almost sure they were talking about her. It had been common knowledge last year that she had been dating Harry Potter (yet, for some reason, Rita Skeeter had never mentioned that in her articles). She assumed that now people were wondering whether she was crazy too. Cho sighed heavily as she made her way past them into the girls' dormitories. She should've known this would happen.

It was probably her own fault, she realized as she got ready for bed. She had fallen out of contact with many of her friends over the summer, so obsessed was she at keeping her relationship with Harry a secret. If she had made more of an effort to stay in touch, which she usually did, they might've known that she hadn't changed. She was still her usual self. At least she thought she was.

"Hey, Cho," she heard someone say. Looking up in surprise, she saw Stephanie Edgley, a friend she had made in her third year. She was lying on her bed, an old book in her hands.

"Hey, Stephanie," Cho replied. "Did you have a good summer?"

"It was alright," she replied lightly. But Cho caught an undertone in her voice. Something wasn't right. "I was just talking with Padma about her's."

Padma Patil was also in bed, about to draw the curtains around her, when she heard her name being mentioned. She paused, glancing guiltily up at Cho. Sighing, she sat up and hugged her knees to her chest.

"My parents didn't want me and my sister to come back," she said quietly. She looked as though she were preparing herself for a rebuke. "Because of what happened last year."

"Because of You-Know-Who?" Cho asked. Padma shook her head.

"Because they don't trust Dumbledore to keep us safe anymore," she said. "They think he's lost his touch because he believes everything Harry said about You-Know-Who coming back."

"What?" Cho asked, disbelieving. "Why, because they read the _Daily Prophet_? That's insane!"

"Don't call my parents crazy!" Padma retorted, rising from her bed to look Cho in the eye. "None of us saw what happened, we don't have any reason to believe You-Know-Who's back. You really think he's the one responsible for all those people dying last year?"

"Yeah, I do," Cho said firmly. "If Harry said so, and Dumbledore believed him, then I believe it too."

"You only believe Harry 'cause he's your boyfriend," Padma sneered. "You shouldn't believe everything a boy tells you."

"That's not why I believe him," Cho said indignantly. "If he were crazy, I think I'd have noticed it whether we were dating or not!"

"She's got a point, Padma," Stephanie interjected. She had been watching their argument silently. "Remember how everyone thought he was the heir of Slytherin a few years ago? And then it turned out it was all just rumors? Don't you think we should give him the benefit of the doubt?"

"No one knows what really happened then, either," Padma said dismissively. "That doesn't mean he's not lying."

"You didn't seem to have a problem with him when he beat that dragon last year," Cho reminded her smugly. "You and her sister were all over him, trying to get him to ask one of you to the Yule Ball last Christmas. It was 'Harry' this and 'Harry' that…"

"What-I-how dare y-never mind!" she said in a high pitched voice. "I'm not even going to bother with you two! Good night!" She jumped back into her bed and wrenched her curtains around it, hiding her from view.

Stephanie glanced at her, then turned to Cho, shrugging apologetically. With that, she too retreated behind her curtains.

As Cho got into bed, her heart beating quickly in her chest, she knew this would not be the last time she would be confronted about her faith in Harry and Dumbledore. She just wondered how many more of her friends she would lose, and how many would stay.

* * *

The following morning was incredibly busy. Class schedules were being handed out, and everyone in their sixth year, including Cho, were expected to know what career they wanted to follow. She wasn't really sure what she wanted to do. Becoming a judge, and eventually, a member of the Wizengamot, had been her goal up until recently, when her parents had confided in her that they would allow her to choose her own path. She had been relieved, of course, but now she wasn't sure what to do. She waited her turn to be given her class schedule by her Head of House, Professor Flitwick. As she waited, she found Harry at his table, poring over his own schedule. Apparently, it wasn't to his liking, as both he and Ron appeared to be complaining to each other. She knew Harry had been considering becoming an Auror, a Dark Wizard catcher, after finishing his studies at Hogwarts. Perhaps that was a career to consider.

"Miss Chang, here is your class schedule," a squeaky voice said behind her. Turning quickly, she took her schedule with a hurried thank you to the tiny professor. Looking it over, she was dismayed to find out she had her first Defense Against the Dark Arts class that morning. She really wasn't looking forward to having Dolores Umbridge as her teacher, but she knew she didn't have much choice. So it was with a heavy heart that she later entered the classroom with the other sixth years. Sitting down as usual near the front of the class, she was surprised to see Marietta sit down next to her.

"Hey, had a good summer?" Marietta whispered as everyone else got into their seats. Cho was taken aback; they had not spoken all summer, and suddenly they were on speaking terms once more?

"It was…good," Cho replied, unwittingly answering her when she had been determined not to say anything.

"Listen," Marietta said quickly as Professor Umbridge emerged from her office upstairs. "I know we left things at a bad place before summer, but I just wanted you to know that I'm trying to make things right, with everything."

Cho did not even have time to respond to this announcement, because at that moment, Umbridge called for silence. "Good morning, class," she said in a voice that was like poisoned honey.

Ravenclaws, being the diligent students that they were, responded immediately with their own greeting. Umbridge smiled sweetly at them. It seemed very painful for her to do. "Very good," she said. "Wands away please." They did so, and pulled out their textbooks, quills, and ink jars. Professor Umbridge walked over to the board and waved her wand. Words appeared on the board, describing the goals of the course.

"Please write these down," she said, "and when you have finished, turn to page five of your textbooks and read chapter one, 'Basics for Beginners'. There will be no need to talk." Everyone in the classroom did as they were told, and soon the room was filled with the noise of scratching quills and turning pages. As Cho looked over what she had written, she realized that the course goals did not say anything about using defensive magic in the classroom. She glanced at her classmates, checking to see whether they had realized this or not. Most of them were already reading their textbook, some with intense looks of concentration, others with intense boredom. Marietta caught her eye and gave her a questioning glance.

Cho took a chance and raised her hand. Umbridge looked up at her, that sickeningly sweet smile in place. "Yes, dear? You had a question about the chapter?"

"No, it was about the course aims," Cho replied. "They don't say anything about practicing defensive spells in class."

Umbridge smiled even wider. "My dear, reading about the theory of the spells should be sufficient to get you through your classes, and into N.E.W.T. level. Please continue reading chapter one, 'Basics for Beginners'. There will be no need to talk." She settled back onto her chair in satisfaction, gazing at her expectantly. Cho lowered her hand slowly, her face burning with embarrassment. She hadn't been treated like such a child since she was little. What gave this woman the right to use that tone with her? And why was she refusing to let them use magic?

_Calm down, _she told herself internally. _This isn__'__t the first time you__'__ve been embarrassed in class. Remember Professor Snape, how he made fun of you during__…__well, pretty much every year. You can handle one more teacher like that, can__'__t you? _Taking a few deep breaths, she opened her book, realizing that everyone else had already almost finished while she had been speaking with Umbridge. Turning the front cover, something caught her eye. In fine print, under the name of the publishing company, were the words: _Appropriate for academic years 5 and under._

* * *

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in the courtyard for their break. To put it mildly, Professor Binns, their History of Magic teacher, had put them all in a sleepy daze by the first ten minutes or so. Harry and Ron spent the rest of their time playing a game on the corner of a piece of parchment, while Hermione threw dangerous looks in their direction. As they waited for their next class to begin after their break, they discussed the horrors that Professor Snape would have in store for them in Potions class. They agreed that the work they would be doing would be extremely difficult. Eventually, Cho also joined them.

"Hey, how was your first class?" she asked them after giving Harry a quick kiss on the lips (It couldn't be too long, or Ron would be grossed out).

"It was quite interesting, actually," Hermione said. "We're learning about the political atmosphere in the wizarding world when the first giant wars began to happen."

"Yeah, what she said," Harry said in relief, hoping to avoid mention of what he and Ron had been up to during class. If it had been any other teacher, the subject would at the very least be mildly interesting. Professor Binns, however, had the most droning and boring voice imaginable. It was almost impossible to stay awake in his class.

"Quite so," Hermione said smartly. "There was something else that caught my interest during class, however."

"Never mind that," Harry said quickly. "What did you take first, Cho?"

"Defense Against the Dark Arts," she replied glumly, slouching on the bench next to them. "That Umbridge woman is such a numptie. She treats us all like we're a bunch of two-year olds."

"Spectacular," Ron groaned. "The one class to look forward to in other years has gone to the dogs too."

"Wasn't she at your hearing?" Cho asked. "My dad heard about her being a teacher from the _Prophet_, and he sent me a letter saying she was there."

"Yeah, she was," Harry replied grimly. "She was one of the few who wanted me convicted. Guess that means we can't be friends anymore." They all stopped as they heard the bell signaling the end of break ringing throughout the courtyard. They picked up their things and headed back inside.

"What's your next class?" Harry asked Cho. "We've got Potions next."

"History of Magic," said Cho. "See you later?"

"Yeah, see you," he said, hugging her briefly as they walked up the staircase past the Great Hall. "Good luck," he called after her.

"You too, you'll need it for Snape!" she cried back playfully. She heard a groan in response. Laughing quietly to herself, she left for her next class.

* * *

_Evening, Ravenclaw Tower_

Cho returned to the Ravenclaw common room, collapsing into one of the chairs near the fireplace. The day had been completely exhausting. Everywhere she went, her teachers kept mentioning career choices and N.E.W.T.s. It wasn't helping her nerves at all. She had decided to meet with her Head of House as soon as possible, probably tomorrow after class, to discuss her plans for the future. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, remembering that she had too much homework to leave it for the next day. _Time for an all nighter,_ she thought to herself. Just as she was opening her bag, she heard someone calling her name. She turned around and saw Roger Davies standing near the entrance to the common room. She waved him over, and he sat down next to her.

"Hey, Cho," he said heavily. He had dark circles under his eyes already. "Had a good first day?"

"Not really," she replied. "Everyone's making a big deal out of grades and N.E.W.T.s, but I don't take them 'til next year. You have them this year, don't you?"

"Yeah, don't remind me," he groaned, burying his face in his hands. His voice muffled, he said, "It's makes planning for the Quidditch season a lot more difficult. This is my last year, I want to make the most out of it."

"You can do it, Roger," said Cho briskly. "If any one can make things work, you can."

"Yeah, guess so," he said. He stared into the fireplace, and he had a look on his face that Cho had not seen before. She didn't like it. She was about to ask if something else was bothering him, when he spoke again, an odd tone in his voice. "Are you still seeing Potter?"

Cho was taken aback. Why should Roger care who she was dating? And then she realized it could only be one of two things, or perhaps even both; either Roger had read the _Daily Prophet _over the summer and believed Harry to be crazy, or he didn't want her to be involved with someone from an opposing Quidditch team. She decided to take things carefully.

"Yes, I'm still seeing him," she replied. "And before you say anything else, Roger, just because he's my boyfriend, doesn't mean I'm going to let him win any match we might have against Gryffindor."

"What? Oh, that," Roger said dismissively. "That's not what I'm not worried about. You've seen all that stuff in the _Prophet_, haven't you? Potter's mad, and I think he might be dangerous."

"Let me stop you there, Captain," she said coldly, using his title to convey how she felt about their conversation. "I think I have a better idea of what kind of person Harry is than some newspaper that's not even bothered to try interviewing him since last year. If you're going to start harassing me over this now, then we're going to have problems."

"Cho, he's landed himself in detention with Umbridge because he won't back down about You-Know-Who!" he said in a rising voice. "If that doesn't count as crazy, I don't know what does."

Cho hadn't heard about that. If that was true, it would only to serve to further affirm the Ministry's power over the school. They were actively trying to shut Harry's voice down. She realized Roger was waiting for her reply. Rising from her seat, she took her bag off the floor.

"Like I said, if you keep this up, we're going to have problems," she said. "If you want me to do good on the team, you'd better drop all this nonsense." With this, she turned and stalked away to the girls dormitories. She'd had enough of these accusations for the day. She couldn't imagine how she would get through the rest of the year.

* * *

_Saturday Morning_

It was a rather chill morning that day, the first Saturday of the school term. To Cho, it felt as though a whole month had passed. Every day for the past week had been nothing but work and study, and avoiding Roger Davies wherever possible. It seemed he had finally taken the hint, for on Wednesday, he tasked Marietta with telling Cho when the first practice for their team would be. Cho was surprised at this sudden turn of events. Now she and Marietta were on speaking terms once again. While their conversation was often formal and slightly stilted, they were beginning to rebuild the trust that they'd had for years. Cho had not forgotten how their friendship had left off the previous year. She knew Marietta probably still wanted answers about Cedric's death.

Walking quietly through the common room, she found Marietta asleep on the couch nearest the fireplace, one of her textbooks in her lap. It seemed she had spent the night trying to finish the immense load of homework they had been given over the week. Cho smiled slightly as she left the common room and closed the door quietly behind her.

Wandering through the halls of the castle when they were deserted always gave Cho a feeling of peace. There was no noise to distract her from her thoughts, no students pushing past her to get to class. It was the ideal time to send her owl back home, for she was sending her mother a gift for her birthday. Looking outside, the sky was covered with a thin layer of clouds. It was just the way she liked it, not too hot, and not too cold. Judging from the way the trees were swaying on the grounds, there was a only mild breeze. Perfect Quidditch conditions; if only it had been so on Thursday.

It had been their first practice of the year, so there were some kinks to be worked out. However, it seemed it was more than just complacency that was interfering with their practice. Their Captain seemed very distracted the whole time, seemingly not focused on the game at all. Whenever something went wrong, he would hardly seemed to notice. This seemed very odd to Cho, for she had been under his captaincy for some time. He had always been driven to make sure the team was working at optimal efficiency. There was no room for mistakes when they played matches, either you were all in or not at all. She wondered if their conversation the other day had somehow affected his thinking. She wasn't too sure; during practice, he hadn't paid her much mind. He had seemed more polite, but other than that, he didn't single her out during practice at all. Or anyone, for that matter. It was all very strange.

She reached the Owlery a few minutes, but instead of being empty, she found Harry leaning against the balcony. He didn't seem to be observing anything in particular, merely watching the world go by. She paused to watch him, glad to see him more at ease than he had been in a long time. She loved the way his eyes would glaze over when he was lost in thought. It seemed that he always had a scowl on his face since their stay at Grimmauld Place. He would always smile whenever he saw her, but she noticed that it would never last long; something always turned up to ruin the mood. People in the hallways whispering to each other about him, it almost seemed as though they wanted to provoke him into a fury. He had things much worse than she did.

Deciding to move inside, she walked towards him, being careful not to startle him.

"Hi," she said breathlessly, for she seemed to have trouble focusing whenever he was around. He turned around quickly, and smiled when he saw who it was.

"Hi," he said, and moved towards her. Without anyone to interrupt them, they wrapped their arms around each other and began to kiss for a good long while. They had not been able to talk since Monday, so busy were they with their studies. It was a relief to both of them to be able to simply be with each other. Their worries, their frustrations disappeared in the wind like the leaves in the fall.

They separated, smiling at each other tenderly. It had been a long time since they had been alone this way. Even at Grimmauld Place, they had been so busy cleaning the rooms to be able to have time to themselves. And even so, the threat of expulsion, and the risk of Cho's parents discovering them had put a damper on them for some time.

"Had a good week?" Harry asked quietly. She shook her head, both to clear her head and as a reply.

"No, I've been so busy," she whined, leaning against him. He cradled her in his arms.

"Same here," he said. "I've had detention for almost the whole week. This has got to be a new record for me."

"That Umbridge woman's foul," Cho said bitterly. "Giving you detention for speaking the truth about how Cedric died. You were really brave to stand up to her like that." Through his shirt, she could feel his heart beating faster. Maybe she should drop the subject.

"Thanks, though I didn't feel very brave," Harry replied, lifting her face to look at him. There was only gratitude in his eyes. "Everyone keeps telling me to keep my head down. But it's been hard not to get angry. At her, especially."

"I know," she replied sympathetically. "But I know you can do it, Harry. You're honestly the nicest guy I know."

"Hmmm, don't know about that," he said in mock concern, smiling all the same. He pointed out the letter and parcel in her hands. "Need help with that?"

"Oh, thanks," Cho said. "It's a gift for my mum, it's her birthday today, I only just rem-Harry what's that on your hand?" Harry had taken the parcel, and was in the process of tying it to an owl's leg. By mistake, Harry had revealed the scars on the back of his hand, a reminder that he _must not tell lies_.

"What is this?!" Cho asked in disgust, taking his hand gently and examining the scars that spelled out his crime.

"It's…detention," Harry said in resignation. "She has this quill. It doesn't use ink, it doesn't need to. But whatever I write with it, it writes it on my hand, too. It's been the same thing, every day I've been with her."

"That…she's…" Cho stammered, completely at a loss for words. She paused, trying to collect herself. She wondered to herself what could be done, who could be told. And she realized there was only one person who could help. "Harry, I think you should tell Dumbledore about this."

"I don't want to bother him," Harry said shortly, extracting his hand from hers. The owl, which still had Cho's parcel tied loosely to its leg, gave an annoyed hoot. They both ignored it.

She almost tried to convince him again, but saw the look on his face. It was the same as it had been in recent times; angry, withdrawn. Judging by the way he had spoken about him in the summer, and his reaction now, Cho realized Harry was harboring some sort of grudge against Dumbledore. Perhaps now was not the best time to go to him. So she stayed silent.

* * *

_**Educational Decree NO. 23**_

_**Dolores Jane Umbridge **_

_**has been appointed to the post of **_

_**Hogwarts High Inquisitor **_

* * *

In the following weeks, life at Hogwarts became much worse. Using her newfound authority as High Inquisitor, Professor Umbridge began to bring change to Hogwarts on an ambitious scale. New rules were being implemented, and while most of them were rather petty (Students must keep a certain distance between them, proper dress code must be followed, no music in the halls), some were very alarming in their implications. Umbridge was given the authority to inspect teachers, and to dismiss them if she did not find them to be living up to the Ministry's standards. Most teachers had passed her inspections without much worry. Unfortunately, their Divination teacher, Professor Trelawney, was not among their number.

As Harry made his way downstairs to have dinner, he noticed a large number of students rushing out into the courtyard. Walking quickly with them, he saw Cho making her way outside as well. He fell into step beside her.

"Cho, what's going on?" he asked her.

"It's Professor Trelawney," she said, the worry plain in her voice.

They continued to follow the crowd, and found a spot in the outer area of the courtyard that gave them a clear view of what was happening. Standing in the center was Trelawney, a frail looking witch. She watched as Mr. Filch, the caretaker, brought the last of her possessions and set them on the ground in front of her. The woman was in tears as she looked up at Professor Umbridge, who was standing in front of her at a distance. Trelawney stumbled forward, only to bump into her luggage. Harry would have found this amusing under any other circumstances. Not today.

"Six…sixteen years I've…I've lived and taught here," she said in a quavering voice. "Hogwarts is my home. You…you can't do this."

Harry did not like her very much, but he found the whole thing very hard to watch. No teacher deserved to be kicked out of Hogwarts based on the way they taught. Except perhaps Snape.

"Actually, I can," Umbridge said with a self-satisfied smile. She held up a scroll of parchment. It was an order of dismissal.

Professor McGonagall walked forward from the crowd and enveloped Trelawney in a hug, patting the distraught woman on the back. She looked up at Umbridge with a look of utter disdain.

"Something you would like to say, dear?" Umbridge asked threateningly.

"Oh, there are several things I would like to say!" McGonagall exclaimed. She turned back to Trelawney and continued to comfort her as the doors to the castle swung open.

Professor Dumbledore stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the crying professor.

"Professor McGonagall, might I ask you to escort Sybill back inside?" he asked. McGonagall nodded, and together, she and Trelawney moved to enter the castle. Trelawney gave Dumbledore her tearful thanks, and she was brought back into the castle. The whole time, Dumbledore kept his eyes fixed on the High Inquisitor, an unreadable expression on his face. This did not stop her from speaking her mind.

"Dumbledore, may I remind you that, under the terms of Educational Decree Number 23, as enacted by the Minister-"

"You have the right to dismiss my teachers," he said curtly, "You do not, however, have the authority to banish them from the grounds. That power remains with the Headmaster."

"And what," said Umbidge in a whisper that carried all around the courtyard, "are you going to do with her once I appoint a new Divination teacher who needs her lodgings?"

"Oh, that won't be a problem," Dumbledore said, smiling for the first time since he had arrived. "You see, I have already found us a new Divination teacher, and he will prefer lodgings on the ground floor. May I introduce you?"

Before Umbridge could begin to object, a strange sound was heard coming from the direction of the grounds. Harry realized that they were hoofbeats. Suddenly, the students standing nearest to the grounds moved away from each other, clearing a path for the newcomer. Emerging from the crowd was a face Harry had seen once before on a dark knight in the Forbidden Forest, in his first year. The head and torso of a man, the body of a horse, with white-blond hair and striking blue eyes, Harry would recognize him anywhere.

"This is Firenze," said Dumbledore happily to a thunderstruck Umbridge. "I think you'll find him suitable. If you'll excuse me, I will escort him inside." With that, he and Firenze began to walk into the castle. Turning to them all, Dumbledore asked loudly and firmly, "Don't you all have studying to do?"

The crowd began to disperse, and Dumbledore continued to walk into the castle, Firenze close behind. Harry realized that it had been the first time since his trial that he was standing close to the headmaster. He knew he would not get a better chance to speak with him. He ran after him, trying to push past the other students.

"Professor Dumbledore!" he shouted after him, but the headmaster did not look back. If anything, it seemed that he was walking even faster than before. "Professor!" Firenze turned back briefly and shook his head, and continued to follow Dumbledore.

Eventually, Harry stopped, standing in the middle of the corridor. He felt like a fool; everyone wanted him to talk to Dumbledore about his issues, yet it seemed to clear to Harry that he didn't care. Why should he bother the headmaster? Clearly he was to busy to care about him anymore. With these thoughts, Harry walked slowly up the stairs towards the Gryffindor common room. He could feel the anger rising inside him once more. The fever, the rage, the powerlessness, the kind that turns good men…cruel.

* * *

AN: I'm sorry to say, but regular updates are probably a thing of the past. I'm so sorry this took so long to write. No excuses. Unfortunately, the fall semester is about to begin, so it might be even longer before I can write another chapter. I'll do my best to get it done as soon as possible, but I can't make any promises.

To orangefingers: Thanks for the review, I really appreciate it!

To The Viking Stranger: I had the same thought, but I decided to not have that kind of drama in the story. Thanks for the input.

Thanks to everyone who are adding this story to their favorites, it really means a lot. I know this chapter isn't the best either, but I'll keep trying to write future chapters better and more on time. Please let me know how I'm doing, reviews and constructive criticisms are very welcome. Hang in there for the next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4: Potter's Army

隐蔽军队: The Hidden Army

_A Harry Potter Fanfiction Story by Gfyuwtr7_

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter in any way, shape or form. It all belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. All other works referenced in this story belong to their respective owners.

Author's Note: It's been way too long, but it's good to be back! I am so sorry, school has kept me incredibly busy. I'll try to get more chapters done in the future.

* * *

_Chapter 4: Potter's Army_

From the top of the Owlery, one can see the vast expanse of the Hogwarts grounds. Everything was covered in a fine snow. Not a blade of grass could be seen. It was as though all of Hogwarts were floating in a sea of clouds. It was in this beautiful scene that two figures trudged aimlessly through the snow, seemingly in no hurry to return to the warmth of the castle. Or perhaps they were in no hurry to return to the chill that had settled over the spirit of the entire school. Cho and Harry passed by Hagrid's empty cottage, noting how lonely everything seemed without the jolly half-giant lumbering across the grounds. Harry turned his head away, wishing he could feel anything but alone.

"Quite a turn out, wasn't it?" Cho said as they walked along. She and Harry found some time to spend alone after the first clandestine meeting for their Defense club at the Hog's Head.

"Yeah…it was surprising," he said. "Wasn't expecting so many people. Although…"

"I know, some of the boys have been pretty vocal about it," Cho sighed. Some of the students who had come to that initial meeting had been too keen on listening to Harry rant and rave about the night at the graveyard. It hadn't happened, and Harry had stood his ground. Cho noticed more than a few of them had been disappointed. She had glanced at Marietta to see her reaction. She had been surprised to see a small smile on her face as Harry finished denouncing the lot of them. Had her friend really forgiven Harry so easily? It didn't seem possible that she could have gotten over Cedric's death that quickly.

They had reached the courtyard, and they climbed the steps carefully to avoid slipping on the ice that had gathered on them. Once inside, they slid off their overcoats, grateful to be inside once more. Glancing at him, Cho noticed Harry looked very out of sorts.

"You'll do great, Harry," Cho said gently, putting her hand on his arm. He shook his head.

"It's not that," he said quietly. "I wanted to apologize."

"What about?" Cho asked, though she knew the answer.

"A few weeks ago, in the Owlery, you told me to talk to Dumbledore about Umbridge," he said. He had a pained expression on his face. "I kind of lashed out a bit, didn't I?"

"A little, yeah," Cho agreed, only half teasing. She hadn't liked the tone he had used when he had refused her advice. To be reluctant to ask for help was understandable, in her eyes. She knew the feeling well. She only wished that Harry had told her why. "Listen, I don't know why you don't really want to speak to him, but I won't pry. But if there's anything you want to get off your chest…"

"It's just…" he began. He looked almost guilty. "It's just that whenever I see him, or even just think about him, it feels like I want-want to shout at him or something. He kept me in the dark all summer, and I get the feeling it would've stayed that way if the Dementors hadn't attacked. I just don't know what to think anymore, you know?"

Cho was silent for a moment. "I think maybe it's time to rely more on yourself," she said. "You can always count on us, and on me. But Dumbledore's headmaster, he has so many things going on all at once, now more than ever. What I'm trying to say is that things have changed. But I don't think he's trying to hurt you."

"Yeah…guess that makes sense," Harry said gloomily. Cho could see that he wasn't very reassured by what she had said. She took him by the arm and began to lead them to the main staircase.

"Don't hold it against him, Harry. Imagine if you were Headmaster."

He snorted lightly. "Wouldn't that be something. Doubt that'll ever happen. I'm a nutter, remember?" She glared up at him, but she knew he meant it in good fun. They walked up the enchanted staircase in comfortable silence.

* * *

**By Order of**

**The High Inquisitor of Hogwarts**

**All Student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and Clubs are henceforth disbanded…Permission to re-form may be sought out from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge)…Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, any such group that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled.**

* * *

_Today_, s_ame time, same place._

_Snuffles_

* * *

The news had hit the new Defense club pretty hard. No one was happy with the new decree, but none were quite as angry and despondent as the originators. Harry, in particular, was furious at the latest turn of events. How had the evil toad known? Nothing was turning out the way it should. They still didn't know where to meet, or how often. All Qiudditch teams had been disbanded, and Angelina Johnson, the Captain of the Gryffindor team, had been unable to receive permission to reform it. To add insult to injury, Hedwig had returned from her trip to London with an injured wing. She came bearing a message from Sirius, which merely gave him the time and location of their next meeting. That, at least, was something to look forward to.

He was pacing the common room at that moment, waiting for the head of his godfather to show up in the fireplace. Ron and Hermione were doing their best to ignore his anxiety. Finally, a sputtering sound came from the fireplace. They all gathered quickly around it as the head of Sirius Black appeared, shaggy haired and grinning.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi," the others said in unison.

"How are things?" Sirius asked.

"Not too good," Harry said, and he explained to Sirius the many changes that had come to the school over the short amount of time since they had last spoken. Sirius himself had already known of their meeting in the Hog's Head, thanks to Mundungus Fletcher's clever disguise as a witch. He also relayed to them Mrs. Weasley's disapproval of their planned rebellion. Harry and the others were left feeling discouraged and angry.

"So you want me to say I'm not taking part in the defense group?" Harry muttered.

"Me? Certainly not!" Sirius said, looking surprised. "I think it's an excellent idea!"

"You do?"

"Of course I do!" said Sirius. "D'you think your father and I would've lain down and taken orders from an old hag like Umbridge?" Sirius was encouraging them to fight back! Harry was elated, to say the least. They considered possible meeting places, but continued to come up short. Sirius was not put off.

"Well, I'll have a think and get back to-" He broke off, turning his head to the wall of the fireplace. Something had alarmed him.

"Sirius?" Harry said. His godfather had disappeared. Harry turned to his friends, only to find them staring horrified at the fireplace. He turned back again and stepped back in shock.

A hand had appeared in the flames, groping and flailing as if trying to reach something that had been there moments ago. The hand looked familiar, with stubby fingers covered in tacky old rings…

They all ran for their dormitories, not daring to say a word. Before leaving, Harry took one last look at the hand. It was still reaching out, looking for the head of the person who had escaped.

* * *

_That Same Night, in the Ravenclaw Common Room_

Cho had just gotten ready for bed when Marietta entered their dormitory. She looked back down, feeling uncertain on whether she should say anything to her. The previous day had seen her friend in an oddly happy mood. Granted, Harry had just given an amazing speech on the danger that they all faced, moving almost everyone into a state of willing courage. But it had seemed more than that. She had not had time to speak to Marietta after the meeting, for Harry had wanted to speak to Cho in private soon after. Now that she had an opportunity to speak to her, she was at a loss for words. Thankfully, Marietta took the reins.

"Doing alright?" she asked, seemingly still happy. She began to ready her bed for the night. Cho sat up, trying to find the right words.

"Yeah, I'm good," she said, wondering why she hadn't come up with something better to say. She shook her head. "I mean, I'm doing really well, all things considered."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Marietta sighed. She began prepping her books for the next day's classes. "Still, we should hope for the best. We'll make this group work somehow."

"Right, yeah," said Cho slowly. She was at a loss; her friend was taking things so calmly. She wasn't sure how to respond. She decided to take the scenic route. "You seem really happy these days," she began.

"Oh, yeah. I'm just glad to be doing something important, you know? Doing something that matters."

"Right, yeah," Cho said again. _I really have to stop saying that. _"I'm a bit surprised. You didn't seem all too keen on anything last…you know…"

"I know," she replied simply. "I had a lot of time to think over the summer. I am sorry, by the way. Really sorry, about how I acted. I was hurting. And I didn't care who else I hurt. I shouldn't have said all those things."

Cho was speechless once more. She was beginning to wonder whether someone had kidnapped her friend and had taken her place using Polyjuice Potion.

"What? You didn't think I was going to cry all summer, did you?" Marietta teased.

"Actually, that's exactly what I thought," Cho said quietly.

"Well, you thought wrong. I don't blame you, though. I was such a rotten bi-"

Luckily, a few other Ravenclaws decided to enter the dormitory at that exact moment. They wandered in, talking about their load of homework for the week. It ended their strange conversation. Marietta winked at Cho before closing her curtains around her. Cho could only sink back onto her bed and wonder what had just happened. Why was her friend so different? What had happened to her over the summer? And was it a good change, or a bad one?

There were so many things running through her head at this point. Her friend's behavior was one thing, but there were more pressing matters at hand. Such as what would happen to their defense club now that Umbridge had effectively barred them from ever meeting again, publicly or privately. If this was no coincidence, then someone from the Hog's Head must have tipped her off. It was a discomforting thought. She didn't fear the consequences she would face, so much as for her parents. Both of them worked at the Ministry of Magic, her father being especially under higher scrutiny. If it was discovered that she was involved in a "subversive" group at the school, she knew that they could find themselves in a lot of trouble.

_I have to think positively, though. I shouldn't give into fear. I have to trust that we're doing the right thing, and that we won't get caught. _With this in my mind, Cho said a quick prayer under her breath before allowing herself to sleep, something she hadn't done in a long, long time.

* * *

The next day was cold, wet, and miserable. There seemed to be a hurricane trying to tear Hogwarts to the ground all day. In spite of this, the Gryffindor Quidditch team had received permission to reform. Their first practice would take place that day, terrible weather be damned. Neville admired their house team's bravery and commitment. He wished he could somehow translate that into his own life. Right now, he didn't feel very brave.

He thought that the defense group would change things, bring some sense of freedom from Umbridge's regime. It seemed as though nothing could stop that horrid woman. How on earth were they supposed to fight back if they couldn't even meet officially anymore? How would they do it in secret if they couldn't find somewhere to meet in the first place? He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice two Slytherin's, Draco Malfoy's cronies, approaching him down the hallway. The pushed him roughly.

"Watch where goin', Longbottom!" one of them taunted. Both boys laughed and walked away from him. Neville continued down the corridor, certain they would find him again. He needed someplace to hide…

As he walked down a deserted corridor, he found himself thinking those words over and over. _I need somewhere to hide, I need somewhere to hide, I need somewhere to hide…_

He continued to chant this in his mind when he heard a creaking noise coming from the wall beside him. Glancing at it, he found himself looking at a door that most certainly hadn't been there before. He stared at it. He had walked past this wall many times in his years at the castle. How had he not seen these doors before? Glancing uncertainly around him, he approached them. He pushed down the middle of them lightly, and they swung open. He stepped forward into a dark room, and he heard the doors swinging shut behind him. Had anyone else been watching Neville at that moment, they would have seen him step forward into the room, and watched the doors swing shut and disappear from existence behind him.

The torches around the room lit up shortly after, and Neville blinked slightly in the sudden light. What he saw before him brought a wide smile to his face. This room was perfect. Absolutely fantastic. He had to tell Harry and the others about this room as soon as he could.

And so he did. Upon entering the room himself, Harry grinned widely.

"It's brilliant," he said. "It's like Hogwarts wants us to fight back!"

Neville flushed with pride. He felt he had finally done something right.

* * *

The word was spread among their group that a place had been found to act as a meeting spot. As everyone walked in, they expressed that same sense of awe that he'd had when he first laid eyes upon the room. They all expressed their approval, and they were soon seated on the floor. There had been a cupboard full of cushions in the corner of the room, and the students were all putting them on the floor and relaxing. Ron and Hermione were standing with Harry near the center of the room, trying to grab everyone's attention. Eventually, he found a whistle and blew on it. The students all turned to him expectantly. Cho, who was sitting with Marietta, gave him a smile and a subtle nod.

Harry swallowed nervously. "Well, this is the place we've found for practices, and you've-er- obviously found it okay-"

"It's fantastic!" said Cho, and everyone began to chorus their agreement. Harry waited patiently for them to finish before he continued.

"Well, I've been thinking about the sort of stuff we ought to do first and-er-" He noticed a raised hand. "What, Hermione?"

"I think we ought to elect a leader," said Hermione.

"Harry's leader," said Cho at once, looking at Hermione as though it were the most obvious choice in the world. Harry felt a rush of gratitude and affection for Cho. But there was also fear, and responsibility. She and everyone else in the room were counting on him.

"Yes, but I think we ought to vote on it properly," said Hermione, unbothered by Cho's expression. "It makes it formal and it gives him authority. So- everyone who thinks Harry ought to be our leader?"

Everyone put their hands up, though Harry knew that some of them were only doing it halfheartedly. Nevertheless, he could feel his face burning.

"Er- right, thanks. And what- _yes_, Hermione?"

"I think we ought to have a name," she said brightly. "It would promote a feeling team spirit and camaraderie, don't you think?"

Immediately, everyone began voicing their suggestions. Some were quite good, others (the Ministry of Magic Are Morons Group) not so much. Eventually, they decided on the name Dumbledore's Army. Harry didn't know why, but something about that name bothered him. It wasn't a bad name by any means. He supposed that he didn't feel content because he had not spoken with the headmaster in so long. Harry didn't dwell on it for long, for he saw that everyone was beginning to look to him for instruction. But he kept that feeling in the back of his mind.

_Let's get to it._

* * *

The next few weeks were some of the most exciting of the year. As more time passed and the Army continued to meet, every student began showing tangible progress. Most of them had mastered the Disarming Spell, and were moving on to more complex magic. There was much to catch up on. They had all spent years under the subpar tutelage of inept Defense teachers. Quirrel was a stuttering idiot (or at least acted like one); Lockhart actually was an idiot; and their last teacher, while good, also happened to be a Death Eater. Only Professor Lupin had actually taught them anything of value. Their education in Defense had been spotty, to say the least. Now, they were learning the spells they had all missed out on.

Harry was a fantastic teacher. Not only was he teaching them to defend themselves, but he was encouraging them to play to their strengths. Some of them were better at Charms than hexes, but that was okay. He would teach them to use that to their advantage. He payed particular attention to Neville, who was still having trouble with Disarming. He had already proven to be decent at offensive spells, but Disarming still seemed to elude him. Harry was determined to help him master it.

At the end of every meeting, Harry would always congratulate everyone and encourage them to continue learning on their own as well. It was precisely what Cho was doing that evening.

One day in the previous year, Cho had been looking for new material for Harry's private lessons. She had taken to visiting the library, scanning through obscure or less well known spell books. She came across one that caught her attention. It didn't have the author's name printed anywhere, and it was on a shelf labelled "the Forgotten Section". It was simply named, _Book of Fire_. Curious, Cho opened it and began to scan it. She spent the rest of the day in the library, reading the book hungrily and wondering how she had never heard of it before. Determined to read it again the following day, Cho had placed it back on the shelf and left the library. Unfortunately, the Forgotten Section did not get its name from the nature of its books. Many perception spells had been placed on that particular shelf in order to protect its secrets, in a way that the Forbidden Section never could. Any student who passed by that shelf would immediately forget that it had ever existed. Only someone truly determined to remember it could find it again.

Upon leaving, Cho could not remember why she had spent almost the whole day at the library. She knew she had read something, but the memory of the words would always be beyond her reach. It wasn't until the summer break that she remembered the mysterious book. She had found a similar one in her family's personal library. From that point on, she was determined to find the _Book of Fire _once more.

In between Quidditch practice and DA meetings, she had not had the chance to visit the library this year. In fact, with everything that had been happening in the school, she had almost forgotten about the book altogether. However, she was determined not to let it slip away again.

Cho entered the library. As soon as she spotted the shelf marked "Forgotten Section", she pointed her wand at her temple. She walked toward it, all the while whispering an enhancing memory spell. Students looked up at her, wondering why she was pointing her wand at her own head. She didn't let their glances stop her, for she knew that if her concentration was broken, she would forget about the book again. Finally, she reached the shelf, and she lowered her wand. When she left, she would have to do the spell again, in order to retain the knowledge of the shelf. Cho scanned the books, looking for the book with the unknown author. She had to contain her emotions when she found it, for looking at its worn cover filled her with an inexplicable joy. She knew she had to check it out of the library. But in order to do that, she had to take the book away from the shelf. Hugging the book to herself, she gathered her concentration and pointed her wand at her temple once more. She had to walk to the librarian to check out her book. She walked clear of the shelf and made her way to the counter, whispering the spell. The librarian looked up at her with a critical eye, but smiled slightly when she saw the book in her hand.

"No need for that anymore," she said quietly. Taking the book, she waved her wand at it. Immediately, Cho felt a weight lifting from her mind. She could acknowledge the presence of the book without her spell. The librarian returned the book to her, and Cho left the library. There was a spring in her step as she made her way back to the Ravenclaw tower.

Closing the door to the dormitory, she sprang onto her bed. She paused before opening the book, admiring its aged cover, which was a worn red color. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she felt a strange energy within herself as she held the book.

_This is Hogwarts, everything does that, right?_

Slowly, she opened the book and began to read.

* * *

Harry was sitting on his bed on a chilly morning, watching the December snow gathering on the grounds. If he looked carefully, he could see the smoke rising from Hagrid's hut. He could imagine the fire trying to heat the small cabin against the oncoming winter season.

Harry, of course, had been overjoyed to see his friend return. But when he, Ron, and Hermione visited him on the night of his return, they found that he wasn't all well. His secret mission to parley with the giants on Dumbledore's behalf had left him bruised and cut beyond reasonable explanation. Hagrid had explained to them about his trip to the mountains where the giants lived. While he could certainly reveal his whereabouts to them without fear of repercussions, it would take some serious effort on his part to avoid being sacked by Umbridge. That old toad was already too suspicious of him, and that was only on account of his status as a half-giant. Hagrid's first lesson the following day did nothing to alleviate their worries.

Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair. He did not feel like taking care of the mountain of homework that awaited him, but he knew he had no choice. Now that he was barred from playing Quidditch ever again, he realized that he could no longer put off his assignments by claiming the need to practice. The thought of the previous month's events threatened to plunge him deeper into despair. It did not feel as though they had won their match against Slytherin. As soon as everyone landed on the ground, Draco Malfoy had some choice words to say about the Weasleys, and about Harry of course. No sooner had he finished insulting Harry's mother did he find himself being pummeled into the ground. He, Fred and George were booted off the team, and banned from ever playing Quidditch again. Harry wondered whether Umbridge actually had the authority to stop him from playing after his education at Hogwarts was over. With a sinking heart, he reasoned that she probably did.

The only satisfaction he could take from the past few weeks was the progress his Army was making. Every session saw a new breakthrough for each of them. Whether it was big or small, it didn't matter. Everything was a victory under their current circumstances. Even Neville was improving enormously. He knew it was only a matter of time before he mastered the Disarming Spell. And Cho was also making progress on her own spell work. Harry had noticed that she initially had trouble with more offensive spells. During the Triwizard Tournament, she had taught him charms and spells that would help him overcome obstacles. She had not focused her lessons on being on the offensive. But lately, she was really starting to come into her own. She seemed to be more excitable and full of energy. The potency of her spells was much higher, so much so that she sent her friend flying across the room with a Stunning spell. Harry didn't know what it was, but he liked the changes coming over her.

There had been one lesson in particular that brought this to his attention. They had been practicing the Levitation Charm. Most of the students had been able to do it with ease, but some of them needed help with their form. Among them was Cho, who had been holding her wand slightly lower then it was supposed to be. Walking behind her, he took her right hand and raised it slightly.

"A little higher," he'd whispered. He couldn't help but feel the heat coming from her hand. It had always felt warm to him, but now the feeling was much more pronounced. He had glanced at her, worried that she might be running a fever. Her face, however, was quite clear of any sign of sickness. In fact, she looked positively radiant. She beamed at him, nodding and accepting his advice. It took a certain amount of effort to separate himself from her.

In the present, he watched in satisfaction as everyone in the Room of Requirement continued to push the boundaries of their defensive magic capabilities. Ron had actually managed to outwit Hermione with a well placed Jelly-Legs Jinx, and she was now wobbling across the room. Stunning spells were being perfected. Ginny had reduced a Death Eater dummy to dust. Finally, near the end of the lesson, everyone returned to the basic Disarming Spell. Harry wanted to make sure that everyone had mastered it before the holidays. Today was their last session before the start of the spring term, after all. He paid attention to Neville most of all, waiting for the moment. He could see it in Neville's eyes, the determination and heart that had brought him to this moment. And finally, it happened.

"Expelliarmus!" yelled Neville. And Parvati's wand flew out of her hand. There were gasps all around the room. Someone started clapping, and soon everyone had gathered around Neville to congratulate him. He looked astounded, but pleased with himself, scratching the back of his head. Harry walked up to him and shook his hand firmly.

"Well done, mate," he said quietly. Neville nodded, and mumbled something in response.

Harry returned to the front of the room and called for everyone's attention.

"So that's it for this lesson. Now, we're not going to be meeting again till after the holidays." At this, everyone let out groans of disappointment. Harry raised his hands, and they settled down. "When we do, we can start doing some of the big stuff-maybe even Patronuses." Everyone began to chatter excitedly. Again, he raised a hand.

"So just keep practicing on your own as best you can," he said encouragingly. He actually found himself almost speechless with how proudly he felt of them. "And…and well done, all of you. Great, great work."

Everyone burst into applause when he finished, with Cho leading them and also being the last to stop. Ron leaned towards him.

"Top job, mate," he said. Harry nodded, feeling elated at something he had accomplished.

These people were here because of him, because he decided to stand against the Ministry and their agent at Hogwarts. No longer was he the small child hiding behind the robes of greater wizards. He was standing with the students who wanted to fight back against tyranny, who wanted to take back their school. This wasn't Dumbledore's Army; it was his Army, Potter's Army.

* * *

Harry waited until the room had cleared before he walked to the end of the room. Cho was standing near a mirror, looking at the photos and newspaper clippings stuck to it. As he approached her, he could see the small photo of Cedric Diggory that was used by the _Daily Prophet _during the Triwizard Tournament. Cho turned and smiled as Harry stopped next to her.

"Are you alright?" he asked. "I heard Umbridge gave you a rough time the other day." Rumor had spread around the school that Cho had started to cause a ruckus during a Defense class. Apparently, she had gotten so angry that she had set her textbook on fire. Nothing was left of it by the time the fire went out. It was unclear what the argument had been about, but Harry didn't need to really ask when Professor Toadface was involved.

Cho shrugged, uncomfortable at the memory of that day. "Yeah, I'm okay," she replied quietly. She glanced up at the mirror, smiling sadly at Cedric's photo. "Anyway, it's all been worth it."

"I'm glad you think so," said Harry. He also looked at the photographs. His attention was on the photo of the original Order of the Phoenix. "We're honoring them, with what we've done here. What we'll keep doing."

"I know we will," she replied, turning from the mirror to face him. "You're a really good teacher, Harry. I keep telling you, but I don't think you believe it yet." She shoved him lightly on the shoulder. He was unfazed.

"Course I do," he said in mock severity. "But maybe before I didn't," he continued soberly. "You know, it's only when I'm teaching that I actually feel…useful, I suppose."

"You're not a tool to be used, Harry. By us, or by anybody." She took his hands firmly and looked him in the eyes, not allowing him to look away. "You are much more than that. You brought us together, you gave us hope in an uncertain time. Without you, we wouldn't even be here."

"Are we still talking about the Army, or just about us?" Harry teased. He knew he should take Cho's words seriously, and he did. But the opening had been made, and he just couldn't resist making a sassy remark.

"Be serious!" she said loudly. But she was also smiling, and Harry knew he had made the right move. "But to be fair, why can't it be both?"

They stood there giggling for a few seconds, when Cho suddenly looked up. What she saw put a mischievous smile on her face. She looked back at him. "Mistletoe," she said quietly. There was a fire in her eyes that froze Harry to the spot. Not that he had any inclination of moving away.

"Yeah, probably full of Nargles though." He was still trying to be clever with her.

"What are Nargles?"

"…No idea."

* * *

Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room much later. He had made sure that Cho made it back safely to her own House before making his way back. When he returned, he found Ron and Hermione still awake. Ron was busy with his homework, and Hermione was writing a very long letter. Harry wondered absentmindedly to who it was addressed to.

"What kept you?" Ron asked, grateful for any distraction. Hermione too looked up. Harry said nothing at first, merely sinking into an armchair near the fireplace. Speaking of fire…

"Was it Cho? Did she corner you after the meeting?" Hermione asked. Ron sniggered and looked at Harry expectantly. Harry nodded.

"So-er-what did she want?"

Harry found that he could not answer that question politely. They were underage, after all. Ron, however, always loved jumping to conclusions. And the worst possible ones at that. Or at least the most extreme.

Ron sat up so quickly that he sent his ink bottle flying over the rug. He payed it no mind as he stared at Harry. Harry realized that he had been correct.

"Wait, Harry…did you-?"

"No!" said Harry quickly. "We just…talked, and stuff."

"Really?" said Ron skeptically. He had a smug grin firmly in place. "If you say so."

"No, really," said Harry calmly. "That's all we did. I wanted to know if she was okay after the whole Umbridge thing, remember? Then one thing led to one another…"

"Did you kiss?" asked Hermione briskly. Harry nodded.

"Honest, that's all we did."

"Fine, if you say so," Ron said exasperatedly.

As Harry lay in bed later on, his thoughts lingered on the Room of Requirement. Something had changed about Cho, that was for certain. She was always so calm. And whenever she was emotional, it seemed she was still in control. Tonight had been different, though. It had only been a kiss, but it almost led to so much more…Harry shook his head quickly. He had to keep his head clear for now. He was just glad they both managed to stop themselves before things went too far. She had seemed flustered, just as confused as he was about what had almost happened…He hoped he hadn't ruined things between them.

_That's what they should teach us here. How to keep our emotions in check, things like that…it'd be more useful than Divination anyway…_

He felt his eyelids closing shut. On the opposite side of the room, Neville snuffled in his sleep. An owl hooted somewhere out in the night.

And as Harry dreamed of Chocolate Frogs and broken promises, a shadow slithered into the room just above his head.

* * *

AN: I hope you all will continue to bear with me as I write this story. It's been too long since I last updated, and for that I sincerely apologize. This chapter is the result of many months of planning, procrastinating, changing formats, then changing them again. A process of trial and error, and it probably shows. Either way, I hope you all will enjoy this chapter.

Marietta has certainly made a 180, hasn't she? Her sudden change of heart will be explained later in this story. And while she may be more sociable now than she was before, things that are meant to happen will happen…

Soon, this good place that Harry and Cho find themselves in now will blow up in their faces. It's only a matter of time.

To Sentinel07: Thanks, I'll keep doing my best.

To CC-2224CT-7567: I'm glad you like my story so far, it really means a lot! Maybe you won't like this chapter too much, since Harry and Cho are doing their own thing for the most part. I'm trying to have them grow as individual characters as well. Don't worry, there'll be plenty of romantic moments between them in the future.

Hopefully, I can work on writing more chapters this semester, as I expect it to be less stressful than the last one. I can't make any promises, but I'll do the best I can. In the meantime, please enjoy this latest chapter. I'm glad everyone is still favoriting and following this story in spite of the lack of updates, it really does mean a lot. Please let me know how I'm doing, all comments and constructive criticisms are welcome.


	5. Chapter 5: Memory

隐蔽军队: The Hidden Army

_A Harry Potter Fanfiction Story by Gfyuwatr7_

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, all of its characters, names, etc., all belong to J.K. Rowling. All other properties belong to their respective owners.

* * *

_Chapter 5: Memory _

"You wished to see me, Headmaster?" asked Severus Snape as he entered Dumbledore's office. The pink light of dawn was beginning to seep through the windows. It made the Headmaster's face look older. He looked up from his desk.

"Yes, I did," he said simply. He motioned towards the chair in front of his desk. Snape sat down, uncertain of Dumbledore's intentions. For the most part, he would only summon Snape for a private meeting when it concerned Potter. He was not looking forward to this conversation.

Dumbledore sighed heavily. "I didn't wake you earlier, Severus, and I apologize for that. Arthur Weasley was attacked last night while he was on watch at the Department of Mysteries."

Snape remained silent, knowing that it would be better not to interrupt.

"It was Voldemort's snake, Nagini. It attacked Arthur while he was sleeping, and left him for dead. Fortunately, we were able reach him first. He's now recovering at St. Mungo's."

"That is good news," said Snape quietly. He did not particularly like the Weasleys, but Arthur was a respected member of the Order. He was relieved that the Dark Lord had not reduced their number any further, for now. But he was still not sure why he had been called in private.

"However, I must speak with you about how Arthur's attack was discovered," the Headmaster continued. "Harry saw the attack in a vision, as it happened, from miles away. I'm afraid my worst fears have come to pass. What Harry sees, they are direct connections into Voldemort's mind."

Snape sat back in his chair, a sense of dread washing over him. He knew the implications of what Dumbledore had said. If the Dark Lord discovered this connection he had with Potter, he could cause the Order serious damage. The boy knew too much about them.

"And what do you propose we do, Headmaster?" he asked, though he thought he knew the answer.

"You know what we must do, Severus," the old man replied. "We spoke about it at the end of last term, do you remember? Harry will need to learn Occlumency, in order to protect himself from further mental manipulation."

Snape shrugged slightly, a look of disdain on his face. "It is a very advanced study of magic. Far beyond the abilities of a fifth year, wouldn't you agree?" he argued.

"Remember that Harry has been able to cast a fully corporeal Patronus for at least two years," Dumbledore reminded him gently. There was that infuriating twinkle in his eyes again. Snape knew he was beat.

"When do I begin teaching him?" he said, resigned to his fate. He knew that Dumbledore would not be able to teach the boy. There was too much risk of him attacking the Headmaster, by possession from the Dark Lord.

"When he returns from Grimmauld Place for the holidays. You will teach him on your own time, perhaps under the pretense of Harry needing remedial Potions classes."

"No one could doubt that he needs them," said Snape dryly. Dumbledore nodded, smiling slightly at Snape's resigned expression. With a nod, Snape left his chair and headed for the door. Before leaving, the Headmaster called out to him.

"Yes?" asked Snape.

"Remember why we're doing this, Severus. It wouldn't hurt for you to be kinder, you know."

"…I shall keep it in mind."

* * *

Snape lounged in his study after the meeting, contemplating the task before him. He knew that the Headmaster wouldn't have asked him to teach the boy if it weren't absolutely necessary. That didn't make the prospect of it any easier to bear. The boy was a complete and utter failure as a wizard, in his opinion. He truly had no idea how he was going to teach him Occlumency in time to stop any other mental intrusions from the Dark Lord. He sighed heavily. It didn't matter how much he didn't want to do this. If he wanted to honor Lily's memory, he would do as Dumbledore asked. Everything he was doing was for her.

He didn't know why, but the Headmaster's parting words to him were ringing in his ears, more incessantly than ever before. He sighed again. After all this time, he still held onto the painful memories of his childhood. Of James Potter…that arrogant fool. And when he looked at Harry, most of time, he always saw the boy's father instead. And yet, he had his mother's eyes…

_What would Lily say to you?_

He knew what she would say. She would have quite a few choice words for him. He smiled slightly. She was always full of fire, Lily Evans. And he had to admit, sometimes he saw it in Harry too. He was just too stubborn to see it before.

_And now?_

Now? Perhaps the Headmaster had a point. The boy…Harry wasn't his father, or his mother. He had been deprived of them since he was a baby.

_And remember who's fault that was?_

He had to be honest with himself; he had been too tough on the boy. Maybe it was time for a change. He wouldn't be handing out free points, by any means. But he could at least acknowledge the boy's accomplishments, however small they might be.

As he prepared the material for his Occlumency lessons, Severus felt a small weight lift from his mind. There was much uncertainty regarding the future. The Dark Lord was becoming more and more daring in his operations. But Severus swore to oppose him in whatever way he could. He would teach Potter to defend himself from the Dark Lord's attacks. He would play his part in this war. For Lily, he would always keep fighting.

Always.

* * *

AN: My small tribute to Alan Rickman, the one and only Severus Snape. He was perfect for the role, and left his mark on my childhood. An amazing actor, and a truly great man. May he always be remembered not only as Severus Snape, but for all of his other roles as well. Rest in peace, Alan Rickman. Always.


	6. Chapter 6: Phoenix Fire

隐蔽军队: The Hidden Army

_A Fanfiction Story by Gfyuwatr7_

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter in any way, shape or form. It all belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. All other works referenced in this story belong to their respective owners.

I wonder how many times I'm going to apologize for being really late with another chapter…Um, sorry.

Previously: Harry forms Dumbledore's Army, and they make good progress in learning defensive magic. Cho has been reading a mysterious book from the school library, the Book of Fire. Since then, she's been acting a bit strangely. On the night of the final DA lesson before the winter holiday, Harry and Cho have a passionate encounter under the mistletoe. Later, Harry sees a vision of Mr. Weasley being attacked by Nagini. Harry and the Weasley children are sent to Grimmauld Place, and Snape agrees to teach Harry Occlumency.

* * *

_Chapter 6: Phoenix Fire_

Marietta Edgecombe hesitated in front of Professor Umbridge's office door. Her entire being wanted her to run screaming in the opposite direction. Yet here she stood, staring a lion in the proverbial mouth. She wondered again whether she had completely lost her mind. And again she reminded herself why she was here.

That morning, as she was beginning to prepare her luggage for the trip home for the winter holidays, she received a letter from her mother. As soon as she saw the lettering, Marietta's heart sank. Her mother had been crying. The letter itself didn't seem to have any noticeable blotches, but the handwriting looked scratchy and shaky. She knew her mother could never keep her hands steady when she was distraught. Her breath hitched in her throat as she read the letter.

Her mother was being threatened with the sack. Somehow, news had gotten to the Ministry that Mrs. Edgecombe's beloved daughter was becoming a nuisance to the new High Inquisitor. Her mother was begging her to get back into Umbridge's good grace, or she would be suspended. Or worse, expelled.

Marietta slumped her shoulders. She knew why she was here, but that didn't make this easier. But perhaps there was an advantage to be gained. Dumbledore's Army would need to be a few steps ahead of the new regime in order to keep operating. Umbridge's new Inquisitorial Squad was beginning to make things difficult, for they had begun to notice that the Army was traveling in groups. If they had someone on the inside of the Squad, perhaps she could truly help the others stay hidden, while projecting the image of a good little puppet of the Ministry.

She sighed, her hand shaking slightly as she knocked on the door.

* * *

_Cho was in a dark room. That much was obvious since she couldn't see anything. It was cold too, much too cold. Though she had grown up in Scotland, where winters could be unforgiving, this felt different somehow._

_She wrapped her arms around her chest, allowing her arms to stay uncovered. She remembered a piece of advice her mother had given her. _

"_Rub your chest, your arms will take care of themselves."_

_As she did so, she felt a small squick of warmth inside of her. She focused on it, willing it to grow. With a start of surprise, she realized that there was heat radiating out in front of her. She opened her eyes, and saw a small fire in the middle of the room. Now she could see. Looking around, she noticed that the room looked similar to her own at home. But the room was square, and there were no doors or windows. So where was she, exactly?_

_The fire in front of her was growing, tugging and ripping at the floor at her feet. She jumped back, no longer concerned with the last of the cold. She looked desperately around the room, hoping to find something with which to put out the flames. A roaring noise filled her ears, and the smell of burning wood threatened to smother her. She stumbled to the ground, her head swimming in a fog. Through heavy lids, she saw that the fire had already reached the ceiling and the walls around her. There was no escape. _

_And from all around her, a voice rose above the fire._

_**WAKE UP!**_

* * *

"Cho!"

Cho woke with a start as the train horn blew a piercing whistle through the air. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, wishing desperately for just five more minutes…

"We should get our things together," said Marietta briskly. She moved to gather her belongings. Cho looked up blearily, wondering if she were still dreaming. The day before, Marietta had offered to come visit Cho during the winter holiday. Looking for any opportunity to reconcile further with her friend, she agreed. Cho felt hopeful that things could go back to the way they were before. They had already made some progress during the school year so far.

Stepping down onto the platform, her trunk gathered on a trolley, she squinted through the crowds and the smoke from the train. She found her parents waiting for her near the hidden entrance to the Muggle train station. She turned quickly to Marietta.

"So, I guess I'll see you in a week?" she said.

"Yeah, of course," said Marietta. They stood there, neither sure how to really say good bye.

"Um."

"Yeah, so…"

"Mhm."

Cho sighed exasperatedly. "Come here," she said, finally giving in. She pulled her friend into a tight hug, hoping to let go of the small resentment she still felt. And even after they parted, and Cho was on her way home, she wasn't sure it had completely gone away.

* * *

She was convinced there was something wrong with her. She felt that something was different. As she packed away her trunk in her room, she paused to turn on the lamp next to her bed. Her hand brushed the lightbulb, and it began to glow. She pulled her hand back and the light went out. She checked the wall socket. The lamp wasn't even connected to the power.

Cho stared at the lightbulb, then glanced down at her hand. She reached out again, and the bulb came on once more. She sat back on her bed, thinking. How was she doing this? She wasn't reciting any spell, verbally or mentally. Her emotions were under control, all things considered, so she wasn't doing magic by accident like she did as a child. No, something else was happening.

Dinner was probably ready, but Cho wasn't feeling hungry just then. She rocked back and forth, thinking back to the past weeks. What had changed?

She found the _Book of Fire_, that was one thing. She had noticed that she was getting crankier ever since reading that book. She had an even shorter fuse than usual. But that couldn't be the only thing. Maybe her emotions were getting the better of her. Her last day at Hogwarts before leaving had certainly been stressful enough. Something had happened that night, something that caused Harry and the Weasleys to return to Grimmauld Place earlier for the winter holiday.

"Mr. Weasley was attacked?" asked Cho around a mouthful of food later in the evening.

"That's right. We're just lucky someone found him in time. He's at St. Mungo's now," said Mr. Chang. They were having dinner, the light of the sunset streaming through half-closed window shutters. The shadows made her father's face look older.

"That's why Harry and the others left early," said Cho. Silence fell around the table. Everyday, Voldemort's actions were hitting closer and closer to home. Members of the Order were disappearing, being arrested, and now someone she had met personally was almost killed. But there was something that didn't make sense to her.

"How did we find Mr. Weasley so quickly?" she asked. "Was there someone there with him when he was attacked?"

"Harry saw it," replied her father immediately. His wife looked up and shot him a harsh glare. Clearly this had been classified information. Mr. Chang looked down sheepishly. "I mean, that is to say…I've got nothing."

Cho raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, he saw it? He had a vision?" She remembered a conversation she and Harry had had once about his scar. The way he described it made it seem more like an alarm system, as opposed to a crystal ball.

"We don't know how it works," said her mother shortly. "Dumbledore's worried about it, so they had Harry and the others leave Hogwarts early."

"He'll be safe with the Order, Cho," said her father. He took her hand reassuringly. And while she did feel slightly better, she couldn't help the anxiety rising within her.

* * *

"We're here!" chirped Marietta. Her voice cut through the dull morning fog in Cho's head as she welcomed her friends into her home the next day. She was more than a little surprised when she saw Stephanie Edgley walking in behind Marietta. Surprised, but pleased all the same.

"Steph, what brings you here?" asked Cho. She wrapped the Irish girl in a hug. They had been closer in her fourth and fifth years at Hogwarts.

"Marietta told me she was staying with you for the holiday, so I decided to tag along and surprise you," replied Stephanie, then frowned. "Unless you weren't expecting me. What was I thinking? You've probably only prepared one room…"

"It's okay, I'm sure we can squeeze you in somewhere," Cho reassured her. She led them through her home, trying to keep their bustle as quiet as possible. Her parents were still asleep. She opened the door to the guest bedroom and held it open as her friends filed past her. It was the smallest of the bedrooms, but it was large enough for the two girls. Marietta scattered her bags around the room without rhyme or reason.

"Just put my things everywhere, you know where it all goes," she said. "I need your bathroom." And with that, she skipped along the hallway outside, leaving Cho and Stephanie alone. Cho shrugged helplessly at her friend and sighed. It was true that Marietta used to come often for sleepovers. She had a very specific way of ordering her belongings so that wherever she stayed, it resembled her room as much as possible. To be honest, Cho had always found that habit particularly annoying.

"Need help putting all this away?" asked Stephanie.

"Yes, please."

* * *

"You set your Defense book on fire?" Stephanie asked through her laughter. The room was set, and the three girls were seated on the guest beds.

The conversation had turned inevitably to school matters, from the DA to Umbridge's lack of any redeeming quality. It was at that point that Cho's argument with the old witch came up.

"I did," said Cho calmly, "burned it right to a cinder." She was trying to keep a dignified expression, but the corners of her mouth were starting to curl up.

"But wait, how did it happen?" asked Stephanie as she wiped her eyes. "I mean, I know why it happened. But how exactly did you do it?"

"I don't know, it just…happened," replied Cho. "I wasn't really thinking straight. I just remember being so angry at her…now that I think of it, I don't remember what we were arguing about in the first place."

"Well, it wasn't really an argument," mumbled Marietta. Her fingers were fidgeting with the sheets of the bed. "To be honest, it was kinda scary."

"How do you mean?" Cho felt a hollowness in her stomach. She wasn't going to like this.

"Toad-face was 'teaching', as usual. Then she said something-or more like a few things-about Harry and Dumbledore. You know, the usual rubbish. I mean, we've heard it all before, I don't know why it got to you so badly that day."

"What exactly did I do?"

"You stood up, really quick like. Didn't even say a word. You just stared at her. Your hand was on the textbook, I think. She told you to sit down, and then the book just burst into flames." Marietta bowed her head not meeting Cho's eyes. "You had this really scary look in your eyes. And I could've sworn they glowed for just a second."

* * *

"Try to remember how you felt in that moment," said Stephanie quietly. She, Cho, and Marietta were gathered in the small shed in Cho's backyard. Cho stood in the middle of the shed, her palms cupped slightly and facing the sky. The other two were standing as far from her as possible, pressed against the wall and near the door in case anything went wrong.

"Am I the only one who feels like this is a bad idea?" asked Marietta. "I mean, we're standing in a shed made of wood. A small shed. A really small shed."

"You're not the only one," muttered Cho. "I can't even remember exactly what happened that day. I think that's what's missing here."

"The event itself isn't important, it's how you felt about it," said Stephanie patiently, as though she were reciting a passage from a catechism. "It doesn't even have to be that moment specifically. It can be anything that made you feel angry, sad, or," she paused, giving Cho a knowing smile, "passionate."

As soon as she finished, Cho's mind went back to the end of the last DA meeting. She and Harry were under the mistletoe. She remembered a burning feeling in her body as they kissed. His hands were running all over her, she could barely think. Her hands felt like they were on fire…

"There we go, keep thinking about that!" said Stephanie. She sounded far too excited than she had a right to be. Cho hadn't even realized that she had closed her eyes, distracted by the memory of what had almost happened that night. Opening them, she realized that her hands were literally on fire. Excited, she closed her eyes again and thought back to that night, letting her repressed passion come to the forefront of her mind. She wondered why she had stopped Harry in the first place. What they felt for each other wasn't bad, they both knew what they wanted. So why had they stopped?

And then she remembered. It was the voice.

_**You know it's right.**_

She flinched and opened her eyes, her hands shaking. They were no longer in flames.

"Well, we made some progress at least," said Stephanie dejectedly. Both she and Marietta approached her now. They paused as they saw the look on Cho's face. She looked up at them.

"Maybe we should wait until we get back to school to keep testing this," she said shakily. She felt queasy, her breakfast complaining inside her.

"Sure, of course," soothed Marietta. She took Cho by the arm, and with Stephanie on her other side, carefully walked back to the house on the hill.

* * *

_A roaring noise filled her ears, and the smell of burning wood threatened to smother her. She stumbled to the ground, her head swimming in a fog. Through heavy lids, she saw that the fire had already reached the ceiling and the walls around her. There was no escape. It reached up and grazed the soles of her feet._

_She yelped and jumped back. But it was no use, for the flames had completely surrounded her. It seemed to freeze in place, as if waiting for something. Then in a flash, it leapt onto her._

_The flames began to devour her flesh, leaving scars and blisters at first. Then these gave way to blackened flesh, and eventually she could even count her bones if she'd had a mind to. But all the while, she writhed and clawed at her skin even as it disappeared, screaming in agony. The fire was everywhere, in her skin, her muscles, her bones. She felt it burning straight into her soul._

_Everything was gone, so why couldn't she stop screaming? Why was she still alive? Why wouldn't the pain stop? _

_**You know it's right.**_

_Through her screams, she was dimly aware of someone calling her name…_

* * *

"Cho, wake up!" her mother screamed hysterically as she knelt beside her daughter. Cho's eyes flew open, and she realized she was also screaming. She stopped, looking wildly around her. It was night again, and she could see her friends in their nightgowns, standing by the wall of their room. Her gaze fell on her arms. They were completely engulfed in flames.

She began to scream again.

Stephanie and Marietta were pressed against the wall, staring fearfully on. Cho's father was the only one keeping any semblance of calm. He pointed his wand at Cho's arms and began to mutter incantations under his breath. Slowly but surely, the flames subsided from her arms. As they dissipated into smoke, the damage left behind was revealed.

Her forearms and hands were thoroughly blackened and shriveled. In some places the skin had fallen away, revealing soot-covered bone underneath. She couldn't feel anything. No sensation, no pain. But she felt sick to her stomach as she stared at what her arms had become.

"We-we can fix this, right?" she asked, her voice trembling. "I mean, that's what magic's for!" She looked up at her parents, trying to smile through the pain she felt inside. It only grew worse as she saw their expressions. They were downright scared. Even her father, who had been the only one acting rationally just moments ago, looked shaken as he looked at her arms. Silent tears were rolling down her mother's cheeks.

"We _can_ fix this, right? Right?"

* * *

2nd AN: These past few months have been very busy and hectic, but even so, I'm really sorry for leaving this story on the back burner for so long. I was also dealing with a huge mountain of writer's block. But I hope you've all enjoyed this new chapter!

To everyone who's reviewed and followed this story, I really appreciate your feedback and support! I'll try not to take too long writing the next chapter.

To Ndasuunye: I do realize that most of the scenes are almost carbon copies, but it's the ideas and emotions that are meant to differentiate this story from the books. You make valid points, and I appreciate your criticism. I would like to respond to these concerns in the best way possible, with no ill intent. I hope you will continue to read and critique any future stories. About the mistletoe scene: This was really a personal choice, since I quite liked the scene in the film, and I felt it was appropriate to keep it in. I did try to change up the dialogue and emotions to better fit their circumstances. Levitation: I also liked this moment, but again I changed the context of it. They weren't being nervous. Harry was making an observation, and Cho gave him a look that made him feel a bit frisky. And finally about the eels: If by thrashing you mean sex, then I'll reiterate by saying that that won't happen in these stories. If by thrashing you mean just making out in general, then yeah, fair point. Again, I appreciate your criticism, and I hope I've addressed them in a good way.

Bit of a cliffhanger, I know, but we're heading into interesting territory here, I think. Thanks again to everyone for your reviews and follows, and please don't hesitate to leave constructive criticism, I appreciate all of it! More chapters to follow! (hopefully sooner rather than later…)


	7. Chapter 7: Nightmares

隐蔽军队

_The Hidden Army_

_A Fanfiction Story by Gfyuwatr7_

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other property mentioned in this story.

Author's Note: I think it is safe to say that you all can expect me to update this story at least once every year. Probably.

To Kmanigo72: Thank you for your patience and for reminding me that there are people who genuinely enjoy my stories. This one's for you, hope you enjoy.

**PREVIOUSLY:** Marietta begins the process of becoming part of Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad. She and Cho begin to mend their friendship. Thus, Cho plays host to Marietta and to Stephanie Edgley at her home. In conjunction with the strange dreams she's been having, Cho's powers begin to manifest in volatile ways. This culminates in another nightmare, and she awakens to find her arms and hands engulfed in cursed flames. They claim the flesh from her bones, and Mr. Chang is able to stop the flames from spreading any further on her body.

* * *

_Chapter 7: Nightmares_

_Her eyes were closed. She felt something on her forehead…cold, wet. A towel? No, it was gone now. _

_ Wait, there it was again! Not a towel. But it was definitely wet. As soon as it came, it left again. And once more it came. It was a liquid, running over her forehead. _

_ All at once, Cho became aware of muffled voices. They were loud enough that she could tell they were there, but not enough to hear what they were saying._

_ Where am I? she wondered. She tried to open her eyes but found that they were unnaturally heavy. She must be dreaming, then. All she had to do was wait to wake up._

* * *

_Cho opened her eyes. Above her, she could see light pouring in from the enchanted windows of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies. The rays of the sun reached up into the high, ribbed vaults of the ceiling. Normally, she might have appreciated the beauty of the place, its open spaces. But just not in that moment._

_ She craned her neck slowly forward, scared to look at her arms. But look she did. She let out another breath, this time in relief. Someone had bandaged her arms very thoroughly, that she couldn't see the damage done to them by the hellfire that had engulfed them. Even so, a pit formed in her stomach as she tried to move her fingers beneath the bandages._

_ There was no response. No sensation. Her breath caught in her throat, and she lay her head back on the pillows. She closed her eyes, willing her tears to not spill forth._

_ She didn't understand why this had happened, when and where it had all gone wrong. Was this a punishment from God? Or was this a fate of her own making?_

_ She had read that cursed book from the Forgotten Section in the library at Hogwarts. Maybe that was what had triggered this change. But how could something so insignificant cause so much damage? Something else had to be responsible. _

_ She groaned. She was tired, far too tired to ask herself such questions. Perhaps she would sleep some more__…_

* * *

_"There is a lot of damage," her mother said quietly. She'd come to visit, and was stroking her daughter's hair softly. Cho didn't mind the contact. It had been a long time since her mother had been so vulnerable, so tender towards her._

_ "__It's okay, mama. You can tell me."_

_ There was a pause. Mrs. Chang closed her eyes briefly and took a steadying breath. __"It's…all gone. The flesh, I mean. Your bones weren't damaged at all. Small comfort, I know, but…"_

_ Cho smiled even as tears filled her eyes. __"Every little thing helps."_

_ Her mother smiled wanly back, and Cho thought for a moment that there was a hint of pride in her eyes. And a hint of fear._

_ In their conversation, Cho learned from her mother that the damage done to her arms and hands was extensive. Once Cho had taken a Sleeping Draught, the Healers had set to work, trying every spell and charm known to regenerate flesh. None of them had worked. The fire that had consumed Cho__'s flesh was beyond anything they'd seen before. The damage was akin to the wounds caused by Fiendfyre, if that fire were many times worse. _

_ They eventually resorted to using a strong Essence of Dittany. It wasn__'t a forbidden practice by any means; it was simply not something that was held at the hospital in great quantities, due to the complexities in brewing it. It also did not help that making the essence was a time consuming process. It often took weeks to brew it to completion._

_ The essence was working to regenerate her flesh, but it would be a lengthy process. Due to its limited quantity and the extent of her wounds, her recovery was estimated to be at around two months. _

_ Cho couldn__'t believe it. She would miss so many of her classes. She wouldn't be learning how to Apparate, as all sixth year students were expected to learn. She wouldn't be learning any new spells from Dumbledore's Army. But what struck at her heart the most was the thought of not seeing Harry again for so long. All of these piled onto her, only made worse by the lack of sensation in her arms and hands._

_ The windows in the infirmary reflected the time and weather of the outside world. Judging from the strength of the moonlight spilling into the room, Cho surmised that there was a full moon out. Or perhaps there weren__'t any clouds in the sky tonight. Magic, when it came to telling time through one's eyes, seemed to have an almost dreamlike quality. Her eyes were becoming heavy, the worries of the day taking their toll on her._

_ There was a tapping sound coming from somewhere. A whisper in the dark. She opened her eyes briefly, and was startled to see a man standing next to her bed._

_ She blinked up at him rapidly, trying to rid her eyes of exhaustion. She knew visiting hours were well over. He could only be an intruder._

_ The man was young, dark haired, and handsome. Or he would be, if he weren__'t so unnaturally pale. He had the complexion of a man suffering from hypothermia. And his eyes seemed strangely empty as he stared at her._

_ Now more than ever, she wished she could use her hands. Her wand was on her bedside, but it was next to useless at the moment._

_ "__Comfortable?" the man asked. His voice sounded odd. He was trying to be pleasant, but came across as condescending. Cho said nothing, her mind racing to find a way out._

_ The man didn__'t seem perturbed by her silence. If anything, he seemed to be expecting it._

_ "__The silent treatment. That's fine. It means you won't interrupt me." He held a hand to the front of his coat as he sat down in the chair next to her. He was now between her and her wand. Not that she could have done much with it. _

_ He leaned forward, his gaze turning from her face towards her bandaged hands. He attempted a frown of concern, but Cho didn__'t believe it for a second._

_ "__Looks like I did a real number on you, didn't I?" he finally said. He looked her in the eyes again, smiling at her look of alarm. _

_ This was the man responsible for her current misery. She didn__'t know how he'd done it or why. All she knew was that she suddenly had someone to blame. She stared him defiantly in the eyes, as she couldn't do much else. As he stared back, Cho realized that his eyes weren't simply glazed over, as she had assumed before. They were completely detached. This was a man who didn't care about the suffering he inflicted on others, of that she was sure. Finally she decided to speak._

_ And realized she couldn__'t._

_ Her heart racing, she tried to open her mouth. It wouldn__'t move. Her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth, held there by some unseen force. This was why the man didn't seem offended by her silence. Somehow, he had taken her speech away. But she hadn't even seen him use a wand, or heard him say an incantation._

_ This man was dangerous. A bead of sweat rolled down her temple as she struggled to move something, anything. But she was not in control of her body. And it frightened her, more than anything else at this point. _

_ The man was speaking again. __"Ah, you were unaware. You see, I couldn't have you struggling during this crucial step of your recovery. That's what I'm here for." He stood up slowly, and reached out a hand to her head. Just as Cho was sure he was going to touch her, he stopped. His face was contorted in disgust._

_ "__The cursed mark…it hasn't faded." He dropped his arm to his side. "No matter. I don't need to lay hands on you in order to help you. It'll fade away soon enough." He raised both of his arms. But this time he let them hover over her bandaged arms and hands. Again, he didn't actually touch her._

_ "__Tonight is going to feel a bit uncomfortable," he said. His smile had returned. "Actually, forget that. It's going to be very painful. But trust me, it's necessary." As he said this, Cho began to feel something in her ruined limbs. Her eyes widened. This was impossible! Even with magic, her arms could not be healing this quickly._

_ But it was so. As time passed in the dark room, she felt her arms and hands filling out the tight space of the casts wrapped around them. Carefully, the man waved his hand over the casts. They disappeared in a cloud of putrid smoke, and Cho could see her arms again. They were whole. Skin and muscle was restored where once there had been nothing but blackened husks. She couldn__'t believe her eyes. She tried to look up at the man. Perhaps she had misjudged him. But as she locked her gaze with his, she wished he hadn't._

_ His eyes had become pitch black. He smiled at her. __"My gift to you," he said. And with that, he vanished._

_ Cho blinked rapidly, flinching slightly at the man__'s sudden disappearance. She gave a small gasp as she sat up. She could move again. She brought her arms and hands to her body, relief flooding her. She couldn't help the tears running down her cheeks as she sobbed and laughed at the same time. _

_ She stood up and walked to the window, bathing her arms and hands in the moonlight pouring in. And as she did, her heart stopped. Her hands were glowing faintly, steam rising from her pores._

_ Her nightmare was far from over. _

* * *

"Cho, wake up!"

Cho opened her eyes slowly. She almost closed them again. Light was pouring in from the windows of the Ravenclaw dormitories. She hissed slightly, wishing Marietta would close the blinds around the window and leave her in peace. Rolling over, she clumsily grasped the curtains around her bed and tried to pull them closed. Her friend was having none of that, however. Marietta forcefully pulled them open again, allowing the January sunlight from the window to blast Cho in the face.

"Mari, can we not…?"

"You do know we have lessons again today, right?" Marietta said in an annoyingly superior tone. "Your grades have been so good. It'd be a shame if something were to happen to them…"

It was the beginning of January, more or less. All the students who had left for the holidays had returned to Hogwarts the previous afternoon. In spite of Cho's early recovery, she had been confined to St. Mungo's for almost the whole duration of the holiday.

"I'm up, I'm up," Cho grumbled. As she staggered around that morning preparing for the day, she realized that she was more tired than she could remember being in a long time. She tried to shake off the fog that was clouding her mind, but that didn't happen until later in the day.

She had finished her lunch in a haze, not really tasting the food she put in her mouth. As she left the Great Hall, she found Harry, Ron, Hermione and Zacharias Smith, a fellow member of the D.A., having a discussion just outside the hall. Smith walked off just as Cho reached the others.

"Hi, Harry."

"Cho!" Harry turned around, his face lighting up. His eyes crinkled slightly as he put his arms around her. They had not seen each other since he had visited her in the hospital during the holidays. He had been horrified to learn that it wasn't only Mr. Weasley who was suffering.

"We'll be in the library, Harry," Hermione said firmly. She grabbed Ron by the sleeve of his robes and dragged him off as he protested. Cho felt a rush of gratitude. Ron had good intentions, but he could be a bit daft sometimes.

"We really didn't get much time to talk in the hospital, did we?" Cho asked quietly. She had wrapped her arms around Harry's shoulders.

"Far too little," he agreed with feeling. "The Order didn't want me out in the open too long. I didn't really care, I just wanted to see you…"

"I know. Trust me, I know." Cho sighed. "And now I know how you felt during the summer, at least in a small way. Even if I was totally recovered, the Healers insisted I stay bedridden until they were absolutely sure I was fine."

"And you are, right?" He looked at her over his spectacles, and Cho was briefly and eerily reminded of Dumbledore.

"Yes, _mum_," she groaned playfully, rolling her eyes. Harry smiled slightly in response, but Cho could tell he wasn't fooled. She decided it was time to get going, before he started asking more questions.

"See you soon?" she asked quietly. They both knew they had separate classes. Suddenly, Cho was struck with an idea. "How about we go out again sometime, just the two of us? No friends, no D.A. members bothering us. There's a Hogsmeade visit coming up around Valentine's Day, we could go out then."

"Yeah, that sounds brilliant!" said Harry. "It's been a while since we've had time to ourselves. Till then, I'll see you at the meetings?"

"Definitely." She rose on her toes and kissed him lightly on the lips. They separated reluctantly at the top of the staircase leading to the greater castle, constantly looking over their shoulders at each other.

Finally, Cho met with Marietta and they began walking briskly to their class.

"It's about time," Marietta grumbled. "You two take so long just talking, I swear…"

"Oh shush!" snapped Cho. "Just let me have this."

"Did you tell him about the dreams?" Marietta asked pointedly. Cho only grunted in reply. "Didn't think so."

Cho had been having strange dreams since the night of the incident. She would always wake up in St. Mungo's, with her arms still in casts, the flesh still missing. She would relive those first days over and over. Sometimes she would wake up, only to realize later that she was still dreaming. The dreams would vary, but they always took place in the hospital. And they would always end the same way: the man in the dark coat and suit would visit her, heal her, and would disappear. She could never remember what happened next, but she was sure that those moments were in her dreams too.

Or were those moments dreams anymore? She could occasionally remember vague flashes of images.

Charred bodies lying on the ground. People with empty eye sockets. The stench of burning flesh. A void, a pressure that threatened to crush her head. Voices sobbing and screaming in the dark.

She really wished she could forget those parts.

* * *

In spite of seeing Cho again, it was with a heavy heart that Harry walked towards the dungeons of the castle later that day. On the last day of the holidays, Severus Snape paid a visit to Grimmauld Place and announced that he would be teaching Harry Occlumency once he returned to Hogwarts. Harry was to explain these meetings as Remedial Potions classes.

From what Harry knew, he was not being possessed by Voldemort. That fear was put aside thanks to Ginny Weasley. Apparently, Dumbledore believed it would be prudent for Harry to learn to defend his mind. He wasn't sure how to feel about Dumbledore refusing to teach him Occlumency himself. The headmaster was clearly capable of doing so. Yet he had seen fit leave the task to Snape instead. Time and again, Dumbledore continued to disappoint him. Harry was not looking forward to these additional meetings with the Potions Master, even if they would help him sleep better at night. As Ron himself had said upon hearing of the new arrangement: "I'd rather have the nightmares!"

Harry knocked on Snape's office door, and heard a quiet invitation to enter. Harry did so, unable to suppress the shiver that always ran through his body upon entering the dungeons. As he entered, his eyes caught sight of Dumbledore's Pensieve- a contraption that allowed one to observe memories- resting on the desk in the middle of the dark room. He was wondering what it was doing here when he heard Snape from the corner.

"Close the door behind you, Potter."

* * *

Harry walked the final steps towards the library, his legs shaking from the effort. His scar was throbbing painfully, and his skin felt clammy. The practice of Occlumency had taken its toll on him.

Snape would use Legilimency- the art of invading minds- and Harry was meant to repel these attacks using his mind alone. Each time, Harry was forced to relive various painful (and several not so painful) memories, things that he wished to keep private. In spite of its difficulties, he at last had answers to a few burning questions. Most importantly: the weapon that Voldemort was searching for was at the Ministry of Magic itself, in the Department of Mysteries.

Harry wasn't entirely sure what to do with this information. Though he would never consciously admit it, the fact that he had a direct channel into Voldemort's mind did give him a sense of importance. After all, if he hadn't seen Nagini attack Mr. Weasley last month, he would likely have died of his injuries. No one would have known he was attacked until it was too late.

Snape himself was displeased with Harry's lack of progress, but he seemed even more so as Harry began to question him about the Department of Mysteries and its importance. No doubt the Potions Master would be reporting their conversation to Dumbledore. Harry didn't much care what they did anymore.

Harry walked into the library, and after discussing his lesson and subsequent revelation with Ron and Hermione, they decided to return to the Gryffindor common room in hopes of finding more privacy. Unfortunately, the Weasley twins were causing an uproar in the normally tranquil room. They had just perfected a new parlor trick to add to their repertoire. Harry had always appreciated their sense of humor, but tonight all he wanted was some peace and quiet.

"I think I'll go to bed," he muttered. He weaved his way between students, and after some effort managed to reach the staircase leading to the dormitories.

As soon as he crossed the threshold of the quarters, he doubled over, clutching his scar. It had lit up like Christmas tree lights in a muggle town, pounding and pulsing with pain. The entire room vanished under Harry's feet, and there was nothing in his ears but the sound of maniacal laughter…someone was very, very happy about something…

"Harry? Harry!"

A fist collided with his jaw, and the laughter abruptly stopped. Harry opened his eyes and realized with a start that he was the one who had been laughing. His stomach heaving, he sat up shakily from the floor. Ron stood over him, looking apologetic as he loosened his fist. He knelt down next to Harry, worry written over his features.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I dunno…He's really happy…really happy…"

"You-Know-Who is?"

"Something good's happened," mumbled Harry. He was still shaking, worse than before. "Something he's been hoping for."

As he lay in bed later, Harry wondered what had happened that could possibly make Voldemort the happiest he'd been in so long. His night was filled with vague flashes and nightmares, hounding him unrelentingly.

Little did he know he wasn't the only one with nightmares.

* * *

_Water poured over her head three times, each time accompanied by a voice. She couldn't understand what was being said or who was saying it. The water felt strange on her head. It wasn't as though she had never felt it before, but it was usually cold and wet. That was it._

_ This felt different. The water was cold, but it seemed to sting slightly too. She had never felt that from water before. Somehow, she knew something was wrong. _

_ The voices were speaking again. Only one was familiar. The other two were unknown to her. She could hear them becoming agitated. What was wrong? She tried to open her eyes but they were still heavy with sleep. She needed to wake up._

_ Out of the darkness, she heard a new voice. It spoke clearly, as though the speaker were right next to her._

_ "__You really shouldn't have done that."_

_Cho opened her eyes. She was standing in a dark alley. Empty windows and storefronts surrounded her and when she looked up, she couldn't see the stars. Was she in London?_

_ She heard a moan coming from the other side of the alley. She turned and squinted into the dark, but couldn__'t see anyone._

_ "__Hello? Is someone there? Are you alright?" she called out. She stepped forward slowly, reaching for her wand in the same motion. Her hand reached her leg, and she realized she wasn't wearing her usual clothes. She was in her hospital gown from St. Mungo's. Her wand was missing._

_ She heard another moan from the alley. She looked up and reeled back in shock. There was a man lying naked on the ground, covered in burns, cuts and black bruises. Cho stepped forward, reaching out her hand. The man__'s eyes widened and he tried to crawl away on one arm._

_ "__Stay back!" he whimpered. He raised his arm as if to stop her, and Cho froze in her tracks. The man's arm, from his elbow to his hand, was missing. "Don't kill me!"_

_ What are you saying? Why would I want to kill you? she thought. When she opened her mouth, she said something completely different._

_ "__**Men like you. Must die.**__" She walked forward briskly, closing the distance between them in seconds. The man tried once more to crawl away._

_ Cho reached for him, grabbing him by the shoulders and pinning him against the wall of the alley. The man cried out hoarsely. All the fight had left him. He didn__'t bother to struggle. He looked down at her beseechingly, his wide eyes terrified._

_ "__Please!" he whimpered._

_ "__**No one can save you.**__"_

* * *

The next morning, Marietta glanced up from her copy of the _Daily Prophet_ at Cho. She sat across from her, holding her spoon in her hand loosely and gazing blankly into her porridge bowl. Marietta cleared her throat.

"I thought you hated porridge," she said lightly. Cho's head snapped up, her eyes red and unfocused.

"What's that?" she asked.

"You hate porridge," Marietta said again, nodding at the bowl in question. Cho looked down and pushed the bowl away hurriedly.

"Right, yeah," she said distractedly, filling another bowl with porridge. Marietta sighed and took the bowl away from her, giving Cho her own plate of eggs and bacon.

"Here," she said, handing Cho the _Prophet_. "Take a look at the story on the fifth page. Take your mind off your own problems."

Cho took the paper, absently taking and nibbling on a piece of bacon as she stared at the front page. A mass breakout from Azkaban had taken place the night before. Her eyes widened, the sleep gone from them in an instant. "This isn't good."

"Sounds like you want to do something about it," Marietta said, looking at her friend carefully. Cho looked anywhere but up.

"Well, I can't, can I?" she replied. Marietta narrowed her eyes slightly. Something was definitely amiss. She remained silent as Cho continued to read the breakout story, not even flinching as Hermione Granger yelped a few tables away, apparently reading the same thing.

"What was the other story you mentioned?" Cho asked. She looked very troubled, but was trying to hide it.

"It's on page five. Nasty stuff."

"Why would you make me read it then? I'm having breakfast."

"To wake you up. You've been walking about like a husk all morning."

"Fine," Cho muttered. She turned to the corresponding page and began to read.

**Tragedy Strikes the Muggle World on New Year's Eve**

"Seems a bit late to report on this," Cho mumbled through a mouthful of egg. "That was weeks ago."

"It really only made Muggle news at the time. But there's always someone at the _Prophet_ lobbying to bring Muggle issues to the wizarding world," Marietta said. "And technically, the piece covers a period of about two weeks. There was a serial killer on the loose."

Cho remained silent as she read on. Her food lay forgotten on the table. Marietta glanced up, worried. "You alright?"

"This all happened in London," Cho said quietly. "While I was at St. Mungo's."

"Yeah," Marietta said slowly. "Guess it was good we never went outside."

"They were all burned to death. With their eyes scooped out," Cho said dully.

"Um, yeah." Marietta looked on as Cho closed her eyes, her brow creased. In concentration or in pain, she didn't know. "Maybe I shouldn't have given you that."

Cho shook her head. "Wake up," she whispered to herself and opened her eyes. They were welling up in tears.

"Cho, you _are_ awake."

* * *

2nd AN: So sorry again for the large delay. I will admit, I had been struck with a mountainous case of writer's block. But I'm here now, and that's good. I became employed during the Christmas season last year, and writing took a backseat as I'm still working there. Hopefully it won't be too long before I update again. To be frank, it was hard to come up with original material for this story, as I knew I didn't want to rewrite the entire series word for word.

To Louatown: I apologize for the confusion. I plan to leave a note at the beginning of each chapter published from here on out to make sure people aren't lost when a new chapter is released. Thank you for the advice.

To MountainLord-92: I understand your misgivings about Harry's portrayal in the Order of the Phoenix. Unfortunately, I also believe it is important to his character to act the way he does. I hope you can see past that as I continue to write. I also see Cho's breakdown as something necessary. All relationships (and life in general, really) have conflict. And the time for that is fast approaching. I don't like unnecessary conflict, believe me.

To The Typing Cat: Please don't hurt me! Look, I posted a new chapter!

And to Kmanigo72: I thank you again for being so patient. Regarding Cho burning Umbridge to a cinder- it's not necessarily part of my plan, but we'll see…

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and followed this story! Hopefully I won't be too long in updating next time. As always, constructive criticism is welcome (and praise as well. Mwahaha). Please leave a review and let me know what you all think! See you next time!


End file.
